Reps summon Buhari over killing of 43 farmers in Borno

The House of Representatives Tuesday resolved to invite President Muhammadu Buhari to brief the house on the state of security in the country and last weekend’s massacre of 43 farmers in Borno State.

The Reps vehemently condemned the killing of the unarmed civilian farmers at Zabarmari village in Jere local government near Maiduguri, Borno State, by suspected Boko Haram insurgents.

The resolutions were reached at plenary following the adoption of a motion titled “Urgent need to condemn and investigate the killing of unarmed farmers in Jere local government of Borno State” sponsored by Reps from the state. Prior to the resolutions, members of the house were sharply divided during debate on the motion with regards to the prayer inviting Buhari to appear before the parliament.

While some members including, the majority leader, Alhassan Ado-doguwa were of the opinion that the leadership should rather meet behind closed doors with the president, most members disagreed with the shout of ‘no.’

As the session became rowdy, the speaker called for an executive session after which all the prayers were taken.

Moving the motion, lead sponsor, Ahmed Satomi expressed pains that more than 43 people were killed in a barbaric attack on rice farmers in Borno State on Saturday, November 28, 2020.

Satomi said he was troubled that the attackers tied up agricultural labourers working in rice fields and slit their throats.

The lawmaker said he was “disturbed that some of the victims were labourers from other states of the federation who had travelled to work on the rice farms in Borno State.

“The exact number of people killed in the incident is not yet known as over 44 dead bodies were recovered and buried, all of them slaughtered, along with six others with serious injuries and many more residents are reported missing.

“Recognise that at the funeral of the victims on Sunday, November 29, 2020 the governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, stated that “Our people are in very difficult situations, they are in two different extreme conditions: in one side, [if ] they stay at home, they may be killed by hunger and starvation; on the other, they go out to their farmlands and risk getting killed by the insurgents.