Following an attack by terrorists thought to be members of Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West African Province, at least 40 farmers have reportedly been killed in the Dumba community in the Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State. The whereabouts of several more have not yet been determined.
Numerous farmers who may have been kidnapped by the terrorists were also reported missing in the attack, which occurred at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.
In a statement released on Monday, Prof. Usman Tar, the Borno State Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, acknowledged the incident.
“An investigation into the circumstances surrounding this attack has begun. About 40 farmers have reportedly been slain, according to preliminary reports, and several who managed to flee the onslaught are being located so they can be reunited with their families,” Tar revealed.
This occurs just twenty-four hours after a similar attack on the Chibok hamlet in the southern portion of the state resulted in the deaths of two persons and the burning of a church.
According to sources, the terrorists attacked the victims after they had crossed the security perimeter that the military had set up around the settlements to keep locals from wandering into ISWAP or Boko Haram pockets.
Since 2014, when terrorist assaults in Borno State increased, Boko Haram has launched three deadly attacks in the Kukawa area.
Following a brutal two-day attack, Boko Haram looted Baga, the seat of Kukawa Local Government and a major commercial center in Borno, in December 2019.
Almost a dozen soldiers were taken prisoner and subsequently brutally killed. This was the town’s third major displacement since 2014, with thousands of inhabitants fleeing their homes.
Zulum denounced the fatal assault on farmers and fishermen in Dumba in the statement.
He asked the military to find the murderers and conveyed his sadness over the situation.
According to Tar, early reports suggested that the attackers killed roughly 40 individuals, and although efforts were being made to find the survivors and bring them back to their families, a number of others fled into neighboring communities.
According to him, the governor ordered the military to hunt down and destroy the criminals who were active in Dumba and other Lake Chad enclaves.
He gave the people his word that the state administration was dedicated to improving security and upholding justice.
He gave the people his word that the state administration was dedicated to improving security and upholding justice.
I was devastated to learn of the terrorist attack on Dumba, which claimed the lives of several of our farmers and fisherman.
“I express my condolences to the families of the victims on behalf of the government. “I want to reassure the people of Borno that this issue will be thoroughly investigated so that appropriate action can be taken,” he stated.
He said the dead had stepped outside the government and military-established security perimeters into areas that were not yet free of landmines or rebels.
In order to prevent such hazards, he advised locals to follow the “safe corridors” that security organizations had marked.
“The military can concentrate on clearing dangerous regions because the administration has clearly delineated space for safe farming and commercial activity. “People shouldn’t go into places where there is a risk of terrorist attacks or where landmines are present,” he continued.
As part of the government’s long-term plan to manage displacement and improve livelihoods, the governor also praised the military for its continuous efforts to secure large tracts of land for farming and resettlement.
Large areas of land are available for farming, fishing, and habitation along the secure corridors, all while being closely monitored by our valiant security personnel.
According to the statement, “entering dangerous areas not only puts lives in danger but also makes military operations against the terrorists more difficult.”
Gen. Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defense Staff, has clarified that the military adheres to stringent procedures prior to carrying out any airstrikes in the various theaters of operations.
He added that civilians are not intentionally targeted and that the military uses precision in its operations.
In an interview with Arise News on Monday, Musa discussed his response to the tragic unintentional deaths of sixteen civilians in Zamfara on Saturday.
“The airstrikes are still a problem,” he stated. We monitor movements before launching an airstrike. And I can assure you that we use precision while conducting airstrikes.
According to Musa, the residents might have been impacted by secondary explosions in locations where rebels keep explosives and weapons.
“A secondary explosion cannot be ruled out at this time,” he said. Why? Because, once more, they have weaponry in those places, including bombs, ammo, and explosives. Therefore, you cannot always rule out the possibility that civilians may be impacted if it rises.
However, we steer clear of the civilian population as much as possible and do not intentionally target them. Before a strike is carried out, we review the videos.
The CDS added that the majority of the claims occur when the military is making progress and that the unintentional killing claims may be an attempt to demoralize soldiers.
“Perhaps we should ask ourselves why we keep hearing these accidental airstrikes here and there when we are succeeding,” he remarked. We believe that this is really a means of demoralizing our air force, demoralizing the troops, and giving the impression that we are inexperienced.
Musa urged communities to wait for the results of military investigations into the occurrence and urged patience and cooperation in confirming similar incidents.
When they claim there has been an airstrike, they usually tell you that the people have been buried before you go there. “Why don’t we wait and then come and check these issues as well?” he asked.
Speaking about the strategies used by terrorists to spread violence, the CDS further revealed that they routinely impregnated women in order to produce a new generation of militants.
Musa claims that terrorists had previously depended on seizing towns and enlisting men by force, but that their loss of territory had compelled them to change tactics.
This was demonstrated by the number of people who turned themselves in to the military, the CDS said, pointing out that half of the 120,000 fighters were children.
Musa said, “Over 120,000 terrorists surrendered. Out of this number, over 60,000 are children. Now, what were the terrorists doing in the past? They used to capture communities and then force men, especially adults, in to join them, whether they like it or not. If you refuse, they behead you, so you had no choice.
‘’But now that it became difficult, that they don’t have any territory, they don’t have a means of doing that, they now decided to start impregnating the women repeatedly. If a woman gives birth, four months after, they impregnate her again. They were trying to produce a new set of terrorists.”
The CDS expressed concern that such children would be more brutal and perpetrate heinous crimes than their parents if not tamed.
“Those children will lack empathy and sympathy because they are growing up in a society where murder, beheading, and other horrible acts are commonplace,” he stated. They consider these behaviors to be typical.
Musa went on to say that the Federal Government was working with international organizations like the European Union and the United Nations to stop the funding of terrorism in Nigeria.
Musa also disclosed that the Department of State Services, the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the National Intelligence Agency, and the Central Bank of Nigeria were all actively investigating the origins and flow of money supporting terrorist organizations.
“We have raised these observations, and the relevant agencies have moved into action. What we are also doing is reaching out to the international community to trace the funds and their movement. If we’re able to do that, we’ll cut off the oxygen that keeps them going, which is very, very vital,” he said.
The defence chief noted the complexity of the funding networks, which include both international and local sources.
“It’s a very dangerous and high-value network that has made it difficult for them to be traced. Locally, we believe they are funded through taxes, levies, kidnapping, and other illegal activities.
‘’We have reached out to the UN, the EU, and other international organisations to assist in tracking the funds. For me, if we’re able to do that, we’ll mitigate this issue significantly and stop them. This is what keeps them going,” he said.
The army chief also said the military is preparing to take legal action against Reuters following its report alleging the forced termination of 10,000 pregnancies during counter-insurgency operations in the North-East.
The Reuters report, published in late 2022, accused the Nigerian military of running a secret and systematic abortion programme for women impregnated by insurgents.
The National Human Rights Commission in 2024 exonerated the military after it investigated the allegations.
Musa claimed that the report had defamed the nation and its military, and he was disappointed that Reuters had neither withdrawn it or offered an apology.
It turned out to be a total fabrication following a one and a half-year study. I thought Reuters would come forward and apologize, but they didn’t. They didn’t even answer. They have not taken responsibility after defaming the entire nation. Nigeria should take up this matter, in my opinion,” he said.
According to Musa, talks to start legal action have been undertaken with the Federation’s attorney general.
“I’ve discussed this with the Attorney -General and I think it’s important that Nigeria addresses this. We will not allow anyone to demoralise our troops or malign the country,” he said.
He also criticised the timing of such allegations, suggesting they were part of efforts to undermine the military’s successes in the fight against terrorism.
“What we realise is that any time we’re making progress, international organizations take it upon themselves to demoralize the country and our troops. We have refused to be demoralized and we will not be demoralised,” he vowed.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives Committee on Army has assured the Nigerian Army of adequate financial allocation in the 2025 budget proposal to tackle the challenges of insecurity in the country.
The Chairman of the Committee, Aminu Balele (APC, Katsina state) made the pledge during the 2025 budget defence organised by the committee on Monday.
Addressing journalists after a closed-door session with the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Olufemi Oluyede, Balele said the committee was satisfied with the Army’s 2024 budget performance.
He said, “We are committed to providing unwavering support, fostering cooperation, and maintaining solidarity with our military counterparts.
“Be assured of this committee’s determination to champion the welfare of our troops, ensure adequate power provisions, and promote capacity building at all levels remains steadfast.
“Today, we have achieved a lot in the sense that we have analysed and scrutinised the 2024 budget and more importantly before we move into 2025, we ask so many fundamental questions, particularly what is happening in the country and the way forward.
“We must assist them (Army) in addressing the issue of insecurity throughout the nation in a short amount of time.”
“In terms of implementation, it was excellent,” the lawmaker stated in reference to the Army’s 2024 budget performance. When it comes to implementation, they have surpassed 99 percent. As part of their supervision role, we dispatched our colleagues to travel across the nation.
Nigerians are under pressure to produce results quickly. In the National Assembly, especially in the House of Representatives, we have given it our all. Despite inflation in exchange rates and other areas, we are tackling security concerns.
On behalf of the committee, he also pledged to investigate the allowances received by soldiers battling the nation’s insecurity.
