Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have ambushed and killed 15 farmers, although abducting three others in Marte Regional Government Area of Borno Declare.
According to regional sources, the incident took place on Wednesday across Ala, Gumna and Musune wards close to the headquarters of the area council.
Whereas initial reports of the attack reached the network on Wednesday evening, the duty of recovering the bodies could not be completed till Thursday morning.
Recounting the assault, a source said, “Five bodies were initially recovered from the field, although others were found later. The attackers burned the barracks and took oversight of the base.
On May 12, the militants struck again, this time at 2 am, launching a pre-dawn raid on the 153 Battalion base. They reclaimed Fresh Marte, killing 19 insurgents, seizing arms and IED components.
“Troops of the Nigerian Army recovered Modern Marte and adjoining communities from the devilish Boko Haram terrorists,” said military spokesperson Mohammed Yerima.
Still, during weeks, the militants staged coordinated attacks on Marte and close by Dikwa. In one incident in March, over 100 soldiers were initially unaccounted for; countless were later declared deserters.
Person Rights Watch later reported that as behind as January 2022, insurgents continued to ambush and implement civilians in the area, including 9 scrap metal scavengers.
In October 2024, insurgents ambushed a convoy on the Dikwa-Modern Marte road, killing two soldiers and countless Civilian Joint Assignment Force (CJTF) members.
On May 3, ISWAP fighters stormed the Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Marte using heavy weapons and rocket fire.
At least 10 soldiers were killed and hundreds of personnel fled, leaving behind armoured vehicles and ammunition. It was a gory sight,” she said.
According to the relative, regional viewers members bravely mobilised to look for the fields, retrieve the bodies and secure they were buried according to Islamic rites.
Amnesty Cross-border condemns attack
The massacre has drawn widespread outrage, together with the people rights institution, Amnesty World firmly condemning the violence as a horrific violation of multinational humanitarian law.
In a assert released on Friday, the organisation expressed detailed material over the escalating violence against vulnerable populations in the North-East, Nigeria.
“Amnesty Cross-border emphatically condemns the horrific killing of at least 15 persons in Marte Nearby Government Area of Borno Condition. Three persons are still missing, and sources indicate that they were abducted by the insurgents.”
The audience relations officer of the Borno Status police command, DSP Kenneth Nahum Daso, confirmed that 15 community lost their lives and confirmed that the authorities were actively investigating the status.
“We are making efforts to define the whereabouts of the three individuals still missing,” Daso said.
A grieving relative whose cousin was amid the victims, shared details of the execution-format killings, explaining that the victims had gone to their farms to harvest crops when they were ambushed.
“They were forced to lie down and shot in the chief at finish variety. The victims, who were nearby residents venturing into the surrounding areas to earn a living or harvest their crops, were ambushed and targeted by a suspected Boko Haram unit,” the state reads.
The rights fixed emphasised that the address targeting of civilians by non-status armed groups constitutes a war crime.
“Amnesty Worldwide calls on the Nigerian authorities to take immediate, seen and people-rights-compliant measures to conceal vulnerable communities living in the region,” the state concluded.
Despite in progress military operations in Nigeria’s North-East, farming communities continue to address severe security threats as insurgents routinely aim agricultural workers in remote areas.
Timeline of attacks
In 2021, Boko Haram splintered and the Islamic Status–aligned faction began asserting dominance. We must safeguard the persist village under our management. They arrived on motorcycles and gun trucks, catching soldiers off protect.
Dozens were killed or captured. Survivors fled into the bush or towards Dikwa.
Amid February 23 and 25, Nigerian troops hit support and launched a counteroffensive using air approve. By nightfall, the army announced it had retaken the base, but not ahead of vehicles were destroyed and arms looted.
By May 13, reports confirmed that ISWAP had seized much of Marte, triggering another wave of displacement.
Zulum, who had planned to resettle 30,000 returnees, was forced to cancel the attempt.
“Regarding 20,000 community left Marte for Dikwa. If we lose it, we lose the comprehensive area government area.” he said.
On the night of January 15, ISWAP fighters overran the Nigerian Army’s 153 Job Force Battalion base in Marte.
According to security sources, seven soldiers were killed and the attackers reportedly looted weapons and equipment.
