Suspected Terrorists Kill 15 Farmers In Borno
Suspected Boko Haram terrorists have reportedly killed 15 farmers around Ala and Musune wards of Marte Local Government Area of Borno State.
It was gathered that the victims were ambushed on their farmlands on Wednesday evening.
According to sources, only 15 bodies out of the 18 people who went to the farms were found and buried on Thursday, while three others remained missing.
The Public Relations Officer of the Borno State Police Command, Nahum Daso, who confirmed the incident on Friday, said efforts were ongoing to determine the whereabouts of the missing persons.
“Yes, there was an attack in Marte. 15 people were killed while others are still missing. Efforts are ongoing to determine their whereabouts,” he said.
The PPRO said details of the incident were still sketchy, adding that the police would update members of the public as soon as data gathering was complete.
Local sources who spoke with our correspondents said the victims were peasant farmers and firewood gatherers, including young men, married men and elders.
One of the sources, who pleaded not to be identified, said the victims were ambushed while carrying out their daily activities.
“They were ambushed by terrorists while carrying out their daily work, bound, forced to lie down, and executed at close range,” the source said.
The source further alleged that some of the victims were decapitated.
“Many people were killed. Some were not even recognisable. So far, we have buried 15 out of the 18; we are currently searching for three persons,” the source said.
Another source said community members retrieved the bodies from the scene and buried them according to Islamic rites.
“It was after the incident that community members picked their bodies from the farm where they were massacred. The bodies found have been buried according to Islamic rites,” the source said.
Meanwhile, human rights organisation Amnesty International condemned the attack, describing the killings as horrific.
In a statement on Friday, the organisation said the killings constituted a grave violation of international humanitarian law.
“Amnesty International strongly condemns the horrific killing of at least 15 people on Thursday, 1 October 2026, in Marte Local Government Area of Borno State, Northeast Nigeria.
“The victims, who were local residents venturing into the surrounding bush to gather firewood to earn a living or cook for their families, were ambushed and targeted by a suspected Boko Haram group,” the statement read.
It further noted that the targeting of civilians by non-state actors constituted a grave violation of international humanitarian law.
“Amnesty International calls on the Nigerian authorities to take immediate, transparent, and human-rights-compliant measures to protect vulnerable communities living in the region,” the statement said.
