Borno State in particular and Nigeria in general was thrown into a state of mourning on Saturday, November 28, following the gruesome murder of about 43 rice farmers in the Muslim majority Zabarmari, in Jere Local Government of Borno state by suspected members of the Boko Haram terrorist group.
The dastardly attack occurred despite the efforts of the Governor, Babagana Zulum’s administration to restore normalcy to the state, having suffered numerous attacks for more than 10 years.
In its reaction, Muslim Public Affairs Center (MPAC) Nigeria condemned the gruesome killings, noting that the dastardly act is unjustifiable and against basic principles of humanity.
The Executive Chairman of MPAC, Disu Kamor, upheld that there is an urgent need to re-strategize and change tactics in order to be more effective and proactive in the fight against the dreaded Boko Haram terrorist group and other terrorism, insurgency and kidnapping groups.
According to the Executive Chairman, “Those who have committed this heinous crime have gone beyond basic principles of humanity. There is no cause that can justify the senseless killing of the most innocent in the society. This perverted mindset that sheds blood without regards to any humanity is a common threat to all Nigerians, and together, we must confront and challenge it.
“The type of senseless violence that continues to plague the nation requires those prosecuting the war against terrorism to not only intensify the fight against Boko Haram and all groups involved in terrorism/insurgency/kidnapping, but as a matter of necessity, they must change their tactics in order to be more effective and proactive.
“Over the course of a few weeks, more than 100 innocent lives have been taken in different attacks around the country. Added to this in a single day were 43 farmers slaughtered by the savagely cruel Boko Haram, with many still missing”.
Mallam Disu further charged the government and Service Chiefs not to be complacent and deploy all elements of national power to confront the threats of terrorism, to degrade their capabilities and avert future occurrence.
“The Northern part of Nigeria remains the hotbed of Boko Haram terrorism, but their crimes are security challenges that directly affect all parts of the country. As thousands of Nigerians are at the risk of losing their lives to the unrelenting terrorist attacks, this is no time for those in government and the Service Chiefs to be complacent.
“The President must now deploy all the elements of national power to confront the threats of terrorism. Our counterterrorism strategies must be designed to disrupt terrorist activities, degrade their capabilities and deter any future attempts of terrorist attacks. Starting with those in government and those leading the war on terrorism in the field, we all must do everything we can to ensure that our shared future is more positive than our current state”, he sued.
The group also condoled with families of the victims and the entire communities affected.
