The Presidency said on Monday that the 43 farmers who were killed on Saturday by Boko Haram terrorists in Zamabari, Borno State, did not get clearance from the military to be on the farm.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, who stated this in an interview with the BBC, said the deaths could have been avoided if the farmers had sought military clearance.
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.
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Shehu noted that all of those places ought to pass the test of military clearances before farmers or settlers resume activities on those fields.
According to the President’s spokesman terrorists had planted land mines in several places in Borno State and people ought not to go to those places until the military has cleared such places.
His words: “The military is not present in every inch of space in that area. Even if the people are willing to go back, a lot of those areas have been mined and mine clearance needs to be carried out and those areas must be cast as being ok for human habitation or agricultural activity.”
