Farmer Murdered in Borno as Herders-Farmers Crisis Deepens in Monguno

A tragic escalation of the recurrent herders-farmers conflict has occurred in Monguno Local Government Area of Borno State, where a farmer was reportedly killed by suspected herders following a dispute over farm grazing.

Dependable NG reports that the incident took place around 12:20 a.m. on Saturday in the Ngolom bush area of Monguno. The attack was detailed in a post shared on X on Sunday by security analyst Zagazola Makama, who stated that approximately ten herders allegedly led their cattle to graze on a beans farm.

According to Makama, an eyewitness to the event, Abatcha Abatcha of Gana Ali Ward, revealed that the confrontation began when he and a group of other farmers approached the herders, demanding that they remove their cattle from the cultivated farmland. Instead of complying, the herders reportedly attacked the farmers with sticks.

During the ensuing altercation, one of the farmers, identified as Bakulu Bafindi, a 30-year-old man from Sabon Lamba Ward in Maiduguri, sustained serious injuries. He was immediately rushed to the General Hospital in Monguno. Tragically, a medical officer at the hospital later confirmed Bafindi dead.

Following the confirmation, Bafindi’s remains were deposited at the hospital mortuary for an autopsy before being released to his family for burial in accordance with Islamic rites. Security forces and local volunteer groups have since intensified their efforts in the region, launching a search operation to track down and apprehend the herders responsible for the deadly attack.