Zabarmari massacre: One killing too many – Bauchi State govt condoles Borno

 

The Bauchi State government on Monday described the killing of 43 rice farmers from Zabarmari town at Koshebe village in Mafa Local Government Area of Borno State by Boko Haram insurgents last Saturday as not only horrendous but also one killing too many.

The government, in a statement signed by the SSA Media to Governor Bala Mohammed, Muktar Gidado condemned the attack, saying it was an affront on the government and people of Nigeria and a challenge to Nigerians’ national resolve and capacity to guarantee the safety of lives and property.

“Once again, the nation is united in grief as we mourn the macabre murder of many innocent Nigerians, by the Boko Haram insurgents.

Though the victims lived in Zabarmari town, the attack, no doubt the most horrendous in recent times, was said to have taken place at Koshebe Village of Mafa Local Government Area, about twenty-five minutes’ drive from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. 

“More than ever before, the world is aghast at the sheer bestiality visited on these hapless citizens and the psyche of Nigerians; prompting the United Nations to issue a very emotional riposte, to the incident.

“We feel the pains of the inhabitants of this breadbasket that has been turned into a killing field. It is indeed a painful irony, that the farmers were slaughtered while engaging in the legitimate effort not only to feed their families but to contribute to national development. This indeed is one massacre too many,” Gidado stated.

According to him, the sight of Governor Babagana Zulum at the funeral of the 43 recovered victims is a constant reminder that eternal vigilance is the price we have to pay for our freedom.

“As tempting as it is, we believe that this is not a time for blame game or name-calling. Rather, the moment calls for sober reflection, for a closing of ranks by the political and military elite as well as other stakeholders, to work out a solution to this protracted destabilising insurgency.

“It is also with every sense of responsibility that we want to place on record our view that the security challenges plaguing the entire country, demand a complete overhaul of the prevailing national security architecture so that the gaps in intelligence gathering, human capacity and firepower, can be sufficiently ameliorated,” Governor Mohammed’s media aide further stated.