THE presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 25 election, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the killing of dozens of fishermen in Mukdolo village in Gamboru-Ngala Local Government Area of Borno State on March 10 by suspected terrorists.
Insurgents suspected to be either members of Boko Haram or the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) swooped on the farmers around the Lake Chad region.
In a condolence message on Saturday, March 11, the former Vice President said no amount of grievances would justify the attack.
Describing the killings as reprehensible, Atiku said he was more pained by the deaths because the victims were innocent citizens seeking their daily bread when their killers descended on them.
“Therefore, while I advise our security agencies to be more vigilant and proactive in intelligence gathering to forestall needless bloodletting, I enjoin those insurgents to sheath their swords and desist from the dastardly act of killing defenceless citizens.
“On behalf of my family and my team, I commiserate with the families of the victims of this beastly act and pray that the souls of the deceased will rest in peace,” he stated.
The ICIR reported the United Nations’ condemnation of the attack on Friday, March 10.
“The victims were fishermen and farmers. They included both internally displaced people and host community members from the neighbouring Dikwa Local Government Area,” the UN said, adding that the attack was another horrific reminder of the real threats of violence and insecurity that displaced people and others, impacted by more than 13 years of conflict in the region, as the people continued to face those challenges daily.
There have been similar killings in the state by terrorists.
In 2020, the Boko Haram terrorist group admitted to killing nearly 80 farmers in the state.
Borno State has been the epicentre of attacks by terrorists in Nigeria since 2010.
Marcus bears the light, and he beams it everywhere. He's a good governance and decent society advocate. He's The ICIR Reporter of the Year 2022 and has been the organisation's News Editor since September 2023. Contact him via email @ [email protected]