AHMAD Lawan, Nigerian Senate President, on Monday, led a delegation of the Federal Government on a condolence visit to Borno state over the killing of rice farmers by Boko Haram at the weekend.
According to Ola Awoniyi, Special Adviser to the Senate president on media, the delegation is in Borno, on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Federal Government, to commiserate and identify with the family of the victims, the government and the people of Borno State over the incident.
Members of the delegation include the chief of staff to the president, Ibrahim Gambari, Ministers of Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello, Communications and Digital Economy, Ali Pantami and the Minister of State for Agriculture, Mustapha Baba Shehuri.
Other members are the National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno(rtd) and Senior Special Assistant(Media and Publicity) to the President, Mallam Garba Shehu.
The ICIR had reported on Saturday how about 43 rice farmers were brutally murdered in Kwashebe Zamarmari axis of Jere Local Government Area of Borno State.
A BBC report says the deceased were attacked, tied and beheaded by the Boko Haram insurgents while they were harvesting rice on their farms.
However, the United Nations’ humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon, said in a statement on Sunday that the numbers of people that were killed were 110. He also added that many others were wounded with several women being kidnapped by the insurgents.
While describing that the incident was the most “violent direct attack against innocent civilians this year, he called that the perpetrators be brought to book.
President Muhammadu Buhari, in a statement issued by Garba Shehu, his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity on Sunday, described the incident as senseless and insane.
He said the government has given all the needed support to the armed forces “to take all necessary steps to protect the country’s population and its territory.
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