Locals and authorities in Nigeria's Borno state say Islamic rebels have killed 11 farmers and abducted several others during an attack on Sunday that was the latest of several to threaten food supplies in the hard-hit region. One resident said Monday that about six of the victims were from the same family.
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria — Islamic rebels killed 11 farmers and abducted several others in Nigeria’s northeast, locals and authorities said Monday,The rebels attacked the farmers as they worked in their fields in Borno state’s Jere district Sunday evening before beheading them and shooting and wounding others as they escaped, according to Dauda Ibrahim, a resident in the area.
The attacks have raised fears of worsening hunger in the troubled region where 4.4 million face acute hunger, according to the U.N. World Food Program.More than 100 farmers were killed in one attack in Jere in 2020 and dozens more have been killed since then, forcing many in agrarian communities to flee for safety. They have often complained of inadequate security presence and slow responses of security forces when the rebels attack them.
“These attacks on farms have significant implications for food security in the region,” said Bukar Babakura, a public affairs analyst in Borno. He said residents in Borno are “deeply concerned” about the long-term consequences of the attacks, especially for communities that rely on what they produce to sustain themselves.
David Steven, a Borno-based monitoring and evaluation consultant, said the attacks could cause more hardship in the impoverished region. “Already, the frequency and intensity of these attacks now raise fears that they could become more widespread and even more violent,” said Steven.