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Boko Haram militants have killed 14 Nigerian fishermen in Niger, as stated an anti-jihadist militia working with the Nigerian military.
The victims had fled northeastern Nigeria to escape relentless attacks by armed groups and sought safety across the border in Niger.
On Sunday, December 8, the fishermen, originally from the towns of Malam Fatori and Doron Baga in Nigeria, were ambushed and killed while fishing in Niger’s Diffa border region.
The brutal attack underscores the ongoing threat posed by Boko Haram in the Lake Chad Basin area.
A vigilante group leader, Babakura Kolo, stated that, “All 14 fishermen had their throats slit by the Boko Haram terrorists who operate in the Bosso area close to the border.”
The Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), a state-supported initiative in Nigeria’s Borno State, comprises local residents recruited and trained by the military to assist in combating jihadist insurgents.
“They were attacked just few kilometres from the Malam Fatori on the Nigerian side of the border,” said Ibrahim Liman, who is also a member of the CJTF and verified the death toll.
Nigeria’s northeastern region has endured a devastating 15-year conflict that has claimed over 40,000 lives and displaced approximately two million people, with 138,000 fleeing to neighboring Niger, according to United Nations estimates.
The displaced populations, heavily reliant on international aid, often turn to fishing, logging, and scavenging for metal scraps to afford food and supplement their limited rations.
Militant groups, including Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have increasingly targeted individuals engaged in these activities, accusing them of espionage and collaborating with the military and allied militias.
In May, ISWAP militants killed dozens of fishermen on three islands in Nigeria’s section of Lake Chad as retaliation for military airstrikes on ISWAP camps that had inflicted heavy casualties on fighters and their families.
Lake Chad, spanning Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, and Chad, serves as a strategic haven for Boko Haram and ISWAP, enabling them to coordinate and launch attacks across the region.
The victims had fled northeastern Nigeria to escape relentless attacks by armed groups and sought safety across the border in Niger.
On Sunday, December 8, the fishermen, originally from the towns of Malam Fatori and Doron Baga in Nigeria, were ambushed and killed while fishing in Niger’s Diffa border region.
The brutal attack underscores the ongoing threat posed by Boko Haram in the Lake Chad Basin area.
A vigilante group leader, Babakura Kolo, stated that, “All 14 fishermen had their throats slit by the Boko Haram terrorists who operate in the Bosso area close to the border.”
The Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), a state-supported initiative in Nigeria’s Borno State, comprises local residents recruited and trained by the military to assist in combating jihadist insurgents.
“They were attacked just few kilometres from the Malam Fatori on the Nigerian side of the border,” said Ibrahim Liman, who is also a member of the CJTF and verified the death toll.
Nigeria’s northeastern region has endured a devastating 15-year conflict that has claimed over 40,000 lives and displaced approximately two million people, with 138,000 fleeing to neighboring Niger, according to United Nations estimates.
The displaced populations, heavily reliant on international aid, often turn to fishing, logging, and scavenging for metal scraps to afford food and supplement their limited rations.
Militant groups, including Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have increasingly targeted individuals engaged in these activities, accusing them of espionage and collaborating with the military and allied militias.
In May, ISWAP militants killed dozens of fishermen on three islands in Nigeria’s section of Lake Chad as retaliation for military airstrikes on ISWAP camps that had inflicted heavy casualties on fighters and their families.
Lake Chad, spanning Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, and Chad, serves as a strategic haven for Boko Haram and ISWAP, enabling them to coordinate and launch attacks across the region.
