
Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum
By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
On Sunday, January 12, 2025, tragedy struck in Borno State when armed militia suspected to be Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists launched a brutal attack on farmers and fishermen at Dumba community, near Baga in Kukawa Local Government Area.
The assault left a devastating trail of death and destruction, with initial reports indicating that about 40 farmers lost their lives. Many others who escaped the attack are still unaccounted for, and efforts are underway to reunite them with their families.
In response to the attack, Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, strongly condemned the incident and urged the officers and men of Operation Hadin Kai to track down and eliminate the insurgent elements operating in Dumba and other enclaves in the Lake Chad Area.
Governor Zulum also commiserated with the victims and their families, while assuring that those still missing will be found and reunited with the families.
“With deep sorrow and anguish, I received the sad news of the attack on Dumba where scores of our farmers and fishermen were killed by the terrorists. On behalf of the government, I sympathise with the victims’ families. Let me assure the citizens of Borno that this matter will be thoroughly investigated for further necessary action.
“Let me use this opportunity to call on the armed forces to track and deal decisively with the perpetrators of this heinous act of violence against our innocent citizens”, Governor Zulum was quoted as saying in a statement issued on Monday by the state Commissioner of Information and Internal Security, Prof Usman Tar.
According to the statement, it was observed that the farmers strayed off the security corridor established by the security agencies, and went into an enclave that is yet to be cleared. Such enclaves are usually prone to nocturnal attacks by marauding terrorists, as well as being contaminated with landmines.
Governor Zulum called on citizens not to venture beyond the safety zones that are demarcated by the government and security agencies.
He highlighted that “the Government has clearly demarcated the land for safe farming and economic activities, allowing the military to focus on clearing the unsafe areas where security clearance and combat operations could be conducted.
“It is important for our citizens not to go into areas where there may be exchange of fires, or where the terrorists may be lurking and trespassing” noted Gov Zulum.
He also commended the armed forces for its consistent effort in ensuring that vast tracks of land are cleared for human resettlement and agriculture, consistent with Gov Zulum’s sustainable solutions to managing internal displacement in Borno State.
The governor called on farmers, fishermen and local communities to settle and carry out their legitimate activities within the “safe corridors” demarcated by the armed forces.
“The safe corridors consist of vast tracks of land which were cleared and decontaminated of explosives where settlement, fishing and farming could be safely carried out under the dutiful watch of our gallant security forces. It is dangerous to stray away from the demarcated safe corridors in order to enable the security forces to concentrate in safeguarding lives, while continuing to engage the terrorists without fear of the citizens being used as human shields by the terrorists.
He also called on citizens to report any sighting of strange movements within or near their settlements and farmlands for speedy action.