Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Suspected Boko Haram terrorists have killed at least 15 farmers and firewood gatherers in a brutal ambush in Marte Local Government Area of Borno State, with three other residents still missing and unaccounted for as search efforts continue. The victims, who were predominantly peasant farmers and firewood gatherers, were ambushed while carrying out their daily activities around Ala and Musune wards of the local government area on Wednesday evening. According to local sources, eighteen people had gone into the surrounding bush, but only fifteen bodies were recovered from the scene and buried on Thursday. The bodies were buried according to Islamic rites, while community members continued searching for the three missing persons as of Friday.
The Public Relations Officer of the Borno State Police Command, Nahum Daso, confirmed the incident to journalists on Friday, stating that efforts were ongoing to determine the whereabouts of the missing persons. "Yes, there was an attack in Marte. 15 people were killed while others are still missing. Efforts are ongoing to determine their whereabouts," Daso said. He added that details of the incident were still sketchy and that the police would update members of the public as soon as data gathering was complete. Local sources who spoke with journalists described the attack as a massacre of defenceless civilians. One source, who pleaded not to be identified, said the victims were ambushed while working, bound, forced to lie down, and executed at close range. The source further alleged that some of the victims were decapitated, adding that the condition of some of the bodies made identification difficult. "Many people were killed. Some were not even recognisable. So far, we have buried 15 out of the 18; we are currently searching for three persons," the source said. Another local source said community members later went to the area to retrieve the bodies and take them back for burial. "It was after the incident that community members picked their bodies from the farm where they were massacred. The bodies found have been buried according to Islamic rites," the source said.
A resident of Marte, Mustapha Grema, told Agence France-Presse that "fifteen victims were buried on Thursday evening according to Islamic rites and the bodies of three other victims were not found". He said the victims had gone into the surrounding bush to gather firewood, which they sell to earn a living or use to cook for their families. The attack has heightened fears among residents of Marte, a community that has been repeatedly targeted by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province over the years. The Nigerian military has maintained a presence in the area, but the attack occurred despite ongoing operations against terrorist groups in the region.
Amnesty International condemned the killings in a statement issued on Friday, describing the attack as horrific and a grave violation of international humanitarian law. "Amnesty International strongly condemns the horrific killing of at least 15 people on Thursday, 1 October 2026, in Marte Local Government Area of Borno State, Northeast Nigeria. The victims, who were local residents venturing into the surrounding bush to gather firewood to earn a living or cook for their families, were ambushed and targeted by a suspected Boko Haram group," the organisation said. Amnesty International noted that local farmers and other residents in the area continue to face extreme risks on a daily basis when accessing surrounding areas for their daily activities. It called on the Nigerian authorities to take immediate, transparent, and human-rights-compliant measures to protect vulnerable communities living in the region. The organisation also urged the authorities to carry out a prompt, thorough, and independent investigation into the Marte killings so that those suspected to be responsible are brought to justice.
The attack is the latest in a series of deadly incidents that have devastated communities in Borno State and the wider North-East region. Earlier in 2026, at least 40 farmers were killed in a deadly attack in Borno, while in June, at least 20 farmers and loggers were killed in another attack that was described as a strategic assault on livelihoods, territory, and recovery. The Boko Haram insurgency has devastated agricultural production in a state that once possessed enormous potential for wheat and other staples. A 2025 agricultural study reported that the insurgency had neutralised Borno's estimated 420,000-tonne wheat production capacity. Behind these statistics lies an even more horrific human cost. On January 12, 2025, at least 40 farmers and fishermen were killed at Dumba in Borno.
The Nigerian military has conducted sustained operations against Boko Haram and ISWAP in the North-East, including Operation Hadin Kai, which has recorded successes in neutralising terrorists, rescuing kidnapped victims, and recovering weapons and ammunition. However, the insurgency remains a potent threat, and civilians, particularly those in rural areas who depend on farming and other activities for their livelihood, continue to bear the brunt of the violence. The attack on the firewood gatherers in Marte underscores the vulnerability of civilians who venture outside their communities to earn a living or provide for their families. These are not combatants. They are farmers, traders, and parents trying to survive in a region where the state's protection is often absent or insufficient.
For the families of the 15 victims buried in Marte, the grief is immeasurable. For the families of the three missing persons, the wait continues, with no certainty about the fate of their loved ones. The police have promised to provide updates as the investigation progresses, but for now, the community is left to mourn and to ask the question that has been asked too many times before: how many more innocent lives must be lost before the government can guarantee the safety of its citizens? Amnesty International's call for an independent investigation is a necessary step, but justice for the victims of Marte will require more than an investigation. It will require accountability, sustained protection for vulnerable communities, and a commitment to addressing the root causes of the insurgency that has turned Borno State into a graveyard of hopes.
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