Propaganda war ensues over slain Borno farmers

The tragic killing of over 40 farmworkers in Zabarmari, Borno State appears to have birthed a new propaganda war in the media.

While some reports allege that the slain farmers were Boko Haram collaborators, another says otherwise.

Nonetheless, the brutal massacre has continued to garner widespread condemnation from Nigerians and the international community.

With the grim search for bodies still on, the Boko Haram jihadi group on Tuesday claimed responsibility.

It was initially unclear which faction was behind the assault, but the main group loyal to shadowy leader Abubakar Shekau said in a video said it was “responsible for what happened around Maiduguri in recent days… especially in Zabarmari.”

Shekau, in the three-minute video, said his group killed 78 farmers because “the farmers arrested and handed one of its brothers to the Nigerian Army.”

As suggested by Shekau, it is already being speculated that the slain farmers had at different point worked as informants to the terrorists and triggered their wrath when they wanted out.

Mallam Kabiru Zanna, a local of Zarbamari, was quoted Friday morning, saying those affected were mainly collaborators of Boko Haram who hailed from Zamfara and Sokoto states.

“The people that were killed were logistics suppliers and collaborators with Boko Haram. They supply them food, fuel. They also help the insurgents in selling rustled cows,” he said.

Zanna who spoke in Hausa, also narrated what transpired on that fateful Saturday and how the transaction between the insurgents and their erstwhile collaborators went awry.

“Last week, these same people were on their way to meeting the insurgents for business when they were accosted by soldiers and after the soldiers couldn’t find anything on them they let them go.

“Meanwhile, the insurgents who were waiting saw them with the troops who later killed 5 of them after an ambush, so the insurgents accused those guys of providing Intel to the soldiers. This is the main reason why the terrorists began killing them.

“The insurgents called them to meet on Thursday but they said they wouldn’t be able to make it unless on Saturday. They agreed to meet early morning 5:00 am on that Saturday. They even had their morning prayers there.

“From there, the insurgents began to tell them about those guys who used to supply the food, who also betrayed them by providing Intel to the troops.

“Normally if there are betrayers in a town, the entire community would pay the price for such acts. At that moment, the insurgents ordered that everyone is tied. They instructed that no gun should be fired in other not to attract troops.

“That was exactly what happened. Those people mostly are collaborators of the terrorists,” he added.

Zanna, who has been keeping tabs with activities of Boko Haram in the state, said, though some that were killed were innocent, “but it was very few of them. I swear most of them are traders with the insurgents. None of them is a rice farmer, they are all in trade with the insurgents.”

However, a group known as the Borno Elders Forum has dismissed Zanna’s claims.

In a statement titled ‘Misleading Audio on Zabarmari Killings in Circulation’, it said the Federal Government is trying to save its face.

“This is to notify the general public that some top military officials that woefully failed the President and the Nation are actually behind the concocted three minutes Interview now being in circulation,” the statement said.

“Nobody knows the identity of the person making the misleading claims in that audio. The purpose is to dismiss the killings as one that is carried out by Boko Haram against their collaborators and to mislead the public that most of the victims are not farmers but supporters of terrorists that are into illegal business.

“If that is true, the President’s Spokesman, Garba Shehu will not make the insensitive remarks that ‘the farmers that were killed did not get security clearance from the military before embarking on farming”.

The group, however, advised Nigerians to disregard the audio, describing as ” wicked propaganda”.

The statement added, “the audio should be disregarded & be considered as one of that wicked propaganda by the beneficiaries of the war against terrorists & those that are manipulating for the status quo (Service Chiefs) to remain.

“The villagers of Zabarmari are alive, we the people of Borno are watching. We know that all those that were killed are farmers & victims of Boko Haram aggression. The Boko Haram too in a video have confirmed the actual reason why they kill them & we all know their antics. If the actual purpose of killing them is true as contain in that audio, Boko Haram will certainly NOT be afraid to say it.”