Borno killings Could have been Averted if Military Responded To Our Call- Rice Farmers

Residents of Zabarmari have said the military was informed of an imminent attack by the Boko Haram militants but nothing was done about it.

One of the survivors of the horror killing of 43 rice farmers in the village, Abubakar Salihu, said they foresaw danger after they arrested one of the Boko Haram terrorists and handed him to security operatives.

“We informed military beforehand that our members sighted Boko Haram in large numbers but nothing was done about it.

“It was a sad day for us in Zabarmari; it could have been averted but the military failed to act on the information we gave them,” he said.

The military has not yet responded to the villagers’ claims.

Another rice farmer, Mohammed Alhaji, said the victims were busy harvesting rice when the insurgents summoned and assembled them.

“It was a deliberate act to ensure that we do not harvest our farm produce. We need the federal government to assist us and secure our lives,” he said.

The attack came on Saturday, as Boko Haram terrorists rounded up farmers on rice fields and slit their throats.

A total of 43 bodies were recovered in one location after the attack. Bodies allegedly recovered from other locations have raised the death toll to 110.