The United Nations (UN) has condemned outrightly the killing of 26 fishermen by suspected fighters of the Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) in Borno state.
Suspected ISWAP fighters had reportedly killed 26 fishermen in an attack in Mukdolo village, Gamborun Ngala area of Borno.
A report by Zagazola Makama said the ISWAP fighters ambushed, tortured and killed the fishermen on Wednesday, March 8, 2023.
The publication, according to military sources, said that dozens of terrorists on motorcycles invaded Mukdolo village and shot sporadically.
The sources further disclosed that at least nine of the fishermen managed to escape from the scene while three sustained bullet wounds.
The gunmen thereafter reportedly surrounded those who were unable to escape, subsequently torturing and killing them.
In an official statement on Thursday, the UN through its Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Matthias Schmale, sympathised with the bereaved families and wish the injured a quick recovery.
Schmale said the victims of the heinous attack “were fishermen and farmers eking out a livelihood in a very insecure environment.”
He also called the attack another horrific reminder of the insecurity that internally displaced persons (IDPs) and others affected by 13 years of armed conflict in the region encounter on a daily basis.
The UN coordinator in Nigeria also stated that Mukdolo had been abandoned prior to the attack as a result of the activities of non-state armed groups.
“I remind all parties to the conflict to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law to protect civilians from harm,” Schmale said and called on authorities to investigate the latest crime and prosecution of the perpetrators.
