Thirty-one fishermen have been killed, and 40 others declared missing in Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists attack on Tunbun Rogo, a fishing village in the Kukawa local government area of Borno State.
The incident happened on Tuesday night, LEADERSHIP learned yesterday.
Confirming the incident to LEADERSHIP in Maiduguri, Mohammed Laminu, the national president of the Fish Dealers Association of Nigeria, said the sad news shocked the group’s members.
“We are saddened by the killing of our fishermen by the terrorists in Baga. Forty fishermen are still missing as of today. We call on the government and Nigerian military to do more in protecting the citizens against attacks from the terrorists. The activities of the terrorists are crippling our fishing business,“ he said.
According to an eyewitness who craved anonymity, the terrorists killed 31 fishermen, leaving many families worried about their loved ones.
“The corpses of the victims remain in the bush, while others who fled to nearby bushes are gradually returning with wounds and receiving treatment from a military base at Cross Kauwa.
“The terrorists stormed the area, armed with weapons, and rounded the fishermen before opening fire. The attack occurred after the fishermen had been ordered by the military to vacate the area for a clearance operation,” the eyewitness said.
Despite complying with the order, the terrorists targeted them upon their return, the eyewitness said.
The eyewitness continued, “We were gathered by the terrorists, who claimed they wanted to preach to us. Instead, their commander ordered our execution. Thirty-one fishermen were killed, and over 40 of us managed to escape.
One of the terrorists was punished by their commander for allowing some of us to flee.“
The victims were fishermen from Monguno, Doron Baga, Cross Kauwa, and Baga towns.
As at the time of filing this report, neither the Nigerian military nor any other authority has issued a statement regarding the ugly incident. Baga in Kukawa town, prior to the Boko Haram insurgency, was known for its fish farming and production of sweet smoked fish, which attracted buyers from all parts of the country to Borno State.
Smoked fish was then a huge source of revenue for the state’s economy and has been seriously battered by the activities of the terrorists.