KEY POINTS

• Boko Haram killed 14 farmers in Gwoza LGA and ambushed 2 civilian JTF volunteers, highlighting renewed insurgent aggression in Borno’s agrarian zones.

• Farmers operating beyond government-approved areas faced deadly risks due to inadequate military patrols, exacerbating food insecurity.

• Persistent insurgent control of rural territories and targeting of civilian militias underscore challenges in sustaining peacebuilding efforts.

Boko Haram insurgents killed 14 farmers and two members of the civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) in separate attacks across Gwoza Local Government Area (LGA) of Borno State, reigniting concerns over the persistent security crisis in Nigeria’s northeast.

The civilian JTF volunteers were ambushed on Friday, April 25, while returning from a routine patrol near Sabon-Gari, close to the Cameroon border.

“The terrorists opened fire on their vehicle, killing two instantly. The driver managed to escape with severe injuries,” a local source disclosed. The farmers, meanwhile, were attacked on Saturday as they ventured beyond government-designated safe zones to cultivate crops near the Mandara Mountains, a known insurgent hideout.

Emir of Gwoza, Mohammed Idris Timta, confirmed the death toll rose to 14 after additional bodies were recovered Sunday. “These farmers lacked security escorts, despite warnings to avoid high-risk areas. The terrorists exploited this vulnerability,” he told Channels TV. The attacks occurred between Pulka and Ngwoshe, regions where Boko Haram has intensified raids on agrarian communities since 2023.

Rising boko haram activity tests military gains

Channelstv reports that the killings underscore the fragile security situation in Borno, where over 40% of farmlands remain inaccessible due to insurgent threats.

The UN estimates that 1.2 million people in the state face acute food insecurity, partly due to restricted farming zones. Civilian JTF volunteers, local militias formed in 2013 to combat Boko Haram, have increasingly become targets, with 47 killed in 2024 alone.

Security analyst Kabiru Adamu noted: “The insurgents are shifting tactics to destabilize food production and weaken community resilience. Without fortified escorts, farmers risk their lives to feed their families.” The Nigerian military has yet to comment, but a 2024 report by the Center for Democracy and Development (CDD) warned that Boko Haram and its splinter faction, ISWAP, still control 15% of Borno’s rural territory.

Meanwhile, Borno Governor Babagana Zulum reiterated calls for federal support: “We cannot win this war without addressing the root causes—poverty, unemployment, and poor rural infrastructure.” His administration recently launched a N5 billion agro-security initiative to provide armored tractors and GPS trackers for farmers, but implementation lags.