Islamic State–Linked Militants Kill 15 Farmers in Northern Borno

By: Ado Sadauki Maiduguri, Nigeria

At least 15 rice farmers were killed and several others were feared abducted on Saturday when fighters believed to be linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province, or ISWAP, attacked three villages in northeastern Nigeria, a local farmers’ leader said.

The assault took place in Ngurtuwa, Bundur, and Dabu, rural communities in Kukawa Local Government Area, about 120 miles north of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State. Musa Haruna, secretary of the Ngurtuwa Rice Farmers Association, said the assailants rode in on motorcycles and attacked farmers working in their fields.

“They did not use guns to kill them,” Mr. Haruna said. “Instead, they used cutlasses and knives to stab them to death, while others were beheaded.”

At least 15 bodies had been recovered, Mr. Haruna said, though the number of missing villagers remained unclear. Some farmers managed to escape.

The Borno State police did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The killings highlight the enduring threat from extremist groups in Nigeria’s northeast, where Boko Haram and its offshoot, ISWAP, have waged a 16-year insurgency. The conflict has displaced millions of people and devastated agricultural communities, compounding a wider food crisis across the region.

Last month, at least 63 people were killed in Borno in what was described as the deadliest insurgent attack in the state in several months.