L-R: Corpses of the dead farmers ready for burial and Presidential Spokesperson, Malam Garba Shehu
The Presidency has said that 43 farmers who were killed by Boko Haram terrorists on Saturday did not have military clearance to be on the rice farms.
Senior Special Assistant to the President Buhari on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu said this in an interview with BBC on Monday, adding that people need to know what it is like in the Lake Chad Basin area.
Shehu, who stated that he was not blaming the dead farmers for what happened, said however, that the truth must be told.
According to him, though most of the areas around the Lake Chad had been liberated from the terrorists, there were still areas not cleared for villagers return.
“The government is sad that this tragic incident has happened. 43 or thereabout of innocent farm workers, most of them had their throats slit by a heartless band of terrorists. People need to know what it is like in the Lake Chad Basin area.
“Much of the area has been liberated from Boko Haram terrorists but there are a number of spaces that have not been cleared for the return of villagers who have been displaced,” he said, adding So, ideally, all of these places ought to pass the test of military clearances before farmers or settlers resume activities on those fields.”
Asked if he was blaming the farmers, he said “Not exactly, but the truth has to be said. Is there any clearance by the military. which is in total control of those areas? Did anybody ask to resume activities? I have been told by the military leaders that they have not been so advised.”
“The military is not present on every inch of space in that area,” he said, adding: “Even if the people are ready to go back, some of these areas have been mined and mine clearance has to be carried out first.”
The 43 rice farmers were killed by Boko Haram in Zabarmari, in Jere Locxal Government, about 20 kilometres from Maiduguri, on Saturday and were buried on Sunday amidst tears in the community.
