Eight fisherman were slain in an attack by Boko Haram terrorists in northeastern Lake Chad, close to the border with Cameroon and Nigeria.
On August 2, 2023, the fishermen were attacked in a remote area close to Kofia island in Cameroon by terrorists believed to be from the Bakoura Buduma gangs, according to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency expert in the Lake Chad region.
After multiple effective airstrikes that resulted in the deaths of numerous terrorists, including top commanders, the Boko Haram elements outlawed all fishing and farming activists in their alleged territory.
According to Makama’s citation of intelligence sources, the victims were killed after they were accused of being spies and of entering the purportedly secret areas.
According to the sources, after killing the eight persons, they abducted dozens more fishermen on eight boats, demanding N5m for each boat and its occupants.
In the last several weeks, there has been a rise in kidnapping, gun trafficking, cattle rustling, and levies on farmers, herders, and fishers in the Lake Chad Basin.
The terrorists may be rushing to make some purchases elsewhere, especially of weaponry and IED components.