Fourteen Nigerian fishermen were killed by Boko Haram fighters in Niger, the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), an anti-jihadist militia assisting the Nigerian military in combating Boko Haram and other insurgent groups, confirmed Tuesday.
The victims, displaced from Malam Fatori and Doron Baga towns in Borno State, Nigeria were fishing in the Niger’s Diffa border area when the jihadists attacked.
Babakura Kolo, a CJTF leader, said, “All 14 fishermen had their throats slit by the Boko Haram terrorists who operate in the Bosso area close to the border.” Ibrahim Liman, another CJTF member, added, “They were attacked just a few kilometers from the Malam Fatori on the Nigerian side of the border.”
Boko Haram’s 15-year insurgency has devastated Northeastern Nigeria, killing over 40,000 people and displacing more than two million, according to the United Nations. Around 138,000 Nigerians have fled to Niger, where they rely on international aid and subsistence activities like fishing and logging to survive.
—Ezinwanne Onwuka reports for TruthNigeria from Abuja.