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At least 23 farmers and fishermen lost their lives on Thursday morning after Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants launched a deadly assault on Malam Karanti, a secluded community close to Baga in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State.
The victims, mostly bean growers from Gwoza, had reportedly entered an informal pact with a rival Boko Haram faction to farm and fish within insurgent-dominated territory in return for regular levy payments.
Zagazola Makama, a Lake Chad-focused counter-insurgency publication, reported that the ISWAP fighters arrived around 9 a.m., rounded up the group, and executed them over suspicions of collaborating with Boko Haram.
A source quoted by the publication revealed that only an elderly man was spared and later alerted locals about the massacre.
“They claimed the farmers were aiding Boko Haram and operating on land controlled by ISWAP,” the source said.
Efforts to recover the bodies were abandoned after the attackers returned and opened fire on those attempting to retrieve the remains.
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno has repeatedly warned residents against forming unofficial pacts with terror groups, stressing that such arrangements often lead to tragic consequences.
“Cooperating with insurgents invites more violence and puts communities at the mercy of factional disputes,” he previously stated.
A local official lamented the ongoing trust some villagers place in terrorists.
“Some still believe that paying them ensures safety, but history shows these alliances often end in betrayal,” he said.