Boko Haram kill seven fishermen in Lake Chad | Tellwell Newspaper
Tellwell Newspaper, Abuja – Nigeria:
Seven fishermen from northwestern Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states were killed by Boko Haram jihadists in Sabuwar Kwata island on the Nigerien side of Lake Chad for illegal entry into the group’s enclave, Tellwell Newspaper learnt from sources in the area.
On Sunday, the seven fishermen were seized by Boko Haram fighters on the island where they had hid and continued fishing in violation of the quit notice.
“The fishermen were found on Sabuwar Kwata island by Boko Haram who slaughtered them for fishing in the area illegally despite earlier order that all fishermen from Nigeria should leave,” fisherman Alti Bawa told Tellwell Newspaper.
Late last month Boko Haram demanded all fishermen from Nigeria to quit the islands under its control following arrests of the group’s food suppliers and a money trafficker in the Diffa region by Niger Republic authourities.
Following the quit notice hundreds of fishermen vacated the islands while dozens who stayed behind to dry their catch were slaughtered by the jihadists at Kwatar Kaoulaha near Sabuwar Kwata, according to several people in the area.
The slain fishers refused to vacate due to the huge catch the Lake provided them, from which they were making enough money to provide for the families, said another fisherman Salele Kabir.
“Nowhere in Nigeria provides the kind of fish Lake Chad provides and some of us don’t mind risking their lives to stay on the island despite the quit order, like these seven did,” Kabir said.
Northeast Nigeria is facing a 13-year armed insurgency by jihadist groups which has killed more than 40,000 people and displaced around two million from their homes.
The violence has spilled into neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, promoting a regional military force to fight the jihadists.
In 2014 Boko Haram seized islands on Lake Chad after deadly attacks, forcing fishing communities to flee their homes.
In 2020, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) which split from Boko Haram seized most areas controlled by Boko Haram in the lake and allowed fishermen to return on condition that they pay fishing tax and royalties on their catch.
Boko Haram, which still control islands on the Niger side of the Lake also allowed fishermen in their area, after seeing the huge money ISWAP was making from fishing revenues.
