The incident occurred at Mukdolo, under Ngala Local Government bordering Dikwa village. A survivor who spoke to a correspondent said the terrorists rode on motorbikes from a nearby forest and surrounded the fishermen near the riverbanks, opening fire on them from all angles. "Unfortunately, all the victims were IDPs from Dikwa town," he said.
Counter-Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, corroborated the survivor's account, adding that dozens of terrorists on motorcycles stormed the field and began shooting sporadically. According to him, nine victims fled, and three sustained bullet wounds. "They asked them to lie down.
Thereafter, they used their fishing net and wrapped them before they started torturing them. After they became unconscious, they opened fire on them, killing them instantly. The bodies of the 26 farmers were later recovered during a search and rescue operation by troops who received the news from victims who fled the attack," Makama said.
The attack on the IDPs is one of many that has plagued the region for years, causing loss of lives and displacement of thousands of people. Borno State, the epicentre of the Boko Haram insurgency, has suffered greatly from the attacks.
The Nigerian government has taken several measures to combat the revolution, including deploying troops to the region, launching Operation Safe Corridor to rehabilitate and reintegrate repentant insurgents, and building a new community of 10,000 homes in Borno State for displaced persons.
Despite these efforts, attacks by terrorists persist, leaving many people in fear for their lives.
The incident in Ngala Local Government Area underscores the government's need for more decisive action to protect its citizens and defeat the insurgency.