Terrorists suspected to be members of Boko Haram/Islamic State of West Africa, ISAWP, have killed no fewer than 72 persons at Rann in Kala-Balge Local Government Area of Borno State and Jibia in Katsina State in the last 72 hours.

Among those killed in Borno on Sunday were over 60 farmers and scavengers, while 12 were killed at Gakurdi village in Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State, yesterday.

The Borno killings came as local hunters ambushed a hideout of terrorists in Wanori village of Konduga Local Government Area, also of Borno State, killing two of the terrorists, while several others sustained various degrees of injuries.

The hunters also recovered 11 wheelbarrows used by the terrorists to loot foodstuffs owned by vilagers.

Kala Balge is a border town with Cameroon, with poor telecommunications network, which delayed  information on the latest massacre of farmers.

Sources said the insurgents, armed with sophisticated weapons, sneaked into the farms and started killing farmers one after the other.

“Over 50 people were buried in Rann on Monday. As at this morning (yesterday), more dead bodies had been found, the death toll is over 60 now,” said a farmer, Ali Isa, who escaped unhurt.

It would be recalled that Boko Haram had increasingly targeted farmers, herders and loggers, accusing them of spying and passing information to the military.

They have also been raiding herding communities, stealing cattle, a valuable commodity in the region, to fund their operations.

In 2020, the insurgents invaded a rice plantation in Zabarmari, a community in Jere Local Government Area, killing at least 43 farmers.

Victims had hands tied behind their back, shot in Borno— Source

Vanguard  also gathered that among those killed were scavengers who left their internally displaced persons, IDPs, camps to scavenge outside the camps.

A source told Vanguard  that most of the victims had their hands tied behind their backs and executed by the terroists.

When contacted for confirmation, the Police Commissioner, Abdu Umar, said he was yet to get details on the incident, even as he promised to furnish the media after getting in touch with the Divisional Police Officer, DPO of Kala Balge.

However, at press time, he was yet to do so.

But a member House of Representatives, representing Kala Balge, Bama and Ngala federal constituency, Zainab Gimba, confirmed the incident to BBC Hausa Service which was monitored by our correspondent in Maiduguri.

Hunters kill 2 terrorists, injure 20 others

In a related development, resilient hunters, led by their chairman, Mai Kyari, yesterday stormed Boko Haram hideouts in Wanori village of Konduga Local Government Area, killing two of the terrorists and injuring about 20 others, after recovering wheelbarrows used for looting foodstuffs and livestock.

It was gathered that the insurgents had been terrorizing the community for a long time, looting such fruits and crops as mangoes, cashew and cassava tubes.

It was learned that acting on intelligence, the leader of the hunters in Wanori, Mallam Kyari, notified the overall chairman of hunters in Borno, Mai Gana Mai Durma, who gave them the marching order to confront the terrorists.

Kyari said he mobilised his men to the hideouts of the terrorists and engaged them in a fierce battle, which led to the successes recorded against them.

Terrorists attack Gakurdi village, kill 12

Meanwhile, terrorists yesterday attacked Gakurdi village in Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State, killing 12 residents in the process.

The hoodlums were also reported to have set farmlands belonging to members of the community ablaze during the attack.

According to a source, the gunmen, who stormed the community riding on four motorcycles, sent residents running helter-skelter when they began shooting sporadically.

After the havoc, Vanguard also gathered from a source that the terrorists further encroached into another community where they rustled several domestic animals before returning to their hideouts in the forest.

Confirming the report, police spokesman in the state, SP Gambo Isah, noted that some of the villagers were killed by the hoodlums while attempting to run into their farmlands for safety.

Consequently, the state Commissioner of Police, Idris Dabban, led a team of security operatives  to the scene to see things for himself.