According to the village head of Njimtilo, Lawan Bunu, the villagers were killed on their farms despite the presence of men of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps agro-rangers, who were tasked with the responsibility of securing farmers.
Bunu, while decrying the spate of killings, stated that on Saturday alone, six farmers were found dead on their farmlands.
He said the village leadership had held a series of meetings with the Nigerian Army but the situation had continued to worsen.
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He stated, “Our people were killed on their farms around the trailer park around 9am. We reported to the army but nobody went there until the villagers mobilised and went to the farms in company with the civilian JTF. The farms are not more than a kilometre away, but we dare not go because of the insurgents.
“We cannot harvest our produce; we cannot go beyond one kilometre. On Saturday, we discovered six bodies; on Friday, we discovered nine bodies; and last week, we had about 20 bodies, all killed on their farmlands. We want the government to come to our rescue.”
An agro ranger in the Njimtilo/Moromti area, Khalid Jidda, acknowledged the attacks, but stated that he and his colleagues were handicapped because the area was vast and their responsibility did not extend into the bush. He said the agro rangers could only provide cover by the roadside.
He called on the villagers to stay away from their farms for now.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Okon Edet, said the police were not aware of the incidents as they had not received such complaints.
