Victims narrates horrifying killings of loved ones in Borno

Some victims of the horrifying killing that happened in Kalle village of Borno state at the weekend, which left at least 12 farmers dead, have narrated their ordeals.
TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports the victims narrated their ordeal to the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) that noted the level of violence registered lately in Northeast Nigeria is alarming.
According to Anja Riiser, NRC’s Area Manager in Maiduguri, “Farmers have been easy targets” the attacks.
Narrating his ordeal, one of the victims only identified as Haruna, who escaped the attack, told NRC: “We were on the farms when about 15 armed men surrounded us.
“They took the men to a tree and started slaughtering them like animals. They repeatedly said they will not allow any of us harvest the crops we cultivated this year.
Another victim, identified Indagiju, also told NRC: “My children and I stood by as they killed my husband. I cried and pleaded for their mercy but they didn’t listen. I will never return to the farm again.
According to the NRC’s Area Manager, the latest attack against farmers underscore the vulnerability of rural communities, even as the authorities are encouraging displaced people to return home to rebuild their lives.
“These attacks risk making people too afraid to cultivate their land and may worsen the existing food crisis. Farmers should be able to cultivate their land and return to their families alive,” she said.
According to NRC, at least 1300 persons are reported to have fled after the attack and many have taken refuge at a displacement camp in Maiduguri and families and friends of the slain farmers said they are too scared to return to their farms.
The attacks on farmers risk worsening the existing food crisis in Northeast Nigeria. It is estimated that 2.9 million people are facing acute food insecurity in the north-eastern states of Adamawa, Yobe, and Borno where violence has been on the rise. Crops have been destroyed and food stores looted, while farmers have either been killed or forced to flee their fields.
Large parts of Borno state may experience emergency levels of food insecurity in the coming months, according to the latest forecast by Famine Early Warning Systems Network, with elevated risk of famine in several areas, NRC revealed.
“There is an urgent need for measures to protect farmers against attacks and looting, so they can safely cultivate their lands and feed their families,” said Riiser, adding: “However, these measures to protect farmers should not translate into a restriction of their movements”.