ISWAP attacks Kukawa farmers in Borno despite levy payments, leaving 40 dead. Survivors reveal betrayal within the group. Read more on NIGPOST.
In a tragic development, suspected militants of the Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) launched a brutal attack on farmers in Kukawa Local Council, Borno State, on Sunday.
The assault resulted in the deaths of at least 40 farmers, despite the victims reportedly paying levies for access to their farmlands.
Counterterrorism expert Zagazola Makama, in a statement on his X account, confirmed the incident, explaining that the farmers were engaged in dry-season irrigation activities along the Lake Chad River Basin Authority (LCRBA).
According to Makama, the attack occurred due to a miscommunication between two rival ISWAP factions.
The farmers had reportedly reached an agreement with one ISWAP group, which permitted them to farm near Daban Leda after paying levies.
However, another faction of ISWAP, unaware of this agreement, ambushed the farmers, leading to the massacre.
Survivors revealed the grim details of the attack, with Abubakar Gamandi, Chairman of the Lake Chad Fishermen Association, confirming the betrayal.
“Our farmers paid money to ISWAP for access to the farmland, but a different group attacked them, unaware of the arrangement. Survivors reported this shocking betrayal,” Gamandi said.
This tragedy highlights the precarious situation in the region, where some communities resort to paying levies to armed groups to access their livelihoods.
Despite military-secured zones established by the Nigerian army, certain farmers choose to negotiate directly with ISWAP, risking their lives in the process.
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