By Tunji Braimoh, Abuja

The Borno State Police Command has launched a search for three farmers reported missing following an attack by suspected Boko Haram terrorists in Marte Local Government Area.

Police said the incident occurred on Wednesday evening when the victims were attacked while working on their farms and collecting firewood in the Ala and Musune wards.

According to Borno State Police Public Relations Officer Nahum Daso, 15 people were killed, while others remained unaccounted for as efforts continued to locate the missing farmers.

“Yes, there was an attack in Marte. Fifteen people were killed and others are still missing. Efforts are ongoing to determine their whereabouts,” Daso said on Friday.

Details of the attack were still limited at the time, with the command indicating it would share further information as more facts emerged.

Local sources disclosed that 18 farmers were attacked. They said 15 bodies were recovered and buried on Thursday in line with Islamic rites.

The victims included young men, married men, and elderly residents who had gone into the bush to farm or gather firewood for their families.

A community source said the farmers were ambushed, tied up, and executed at close range by the attackers.

“They were ambushed by terrorists while carrying out their daily work, bound, forced to lie down, and executed at close range,” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The source added that some victims were decapitated, which made identification difficult.

“So far, we have buried 15 out of the 18; we are currently searching for three persons,” the source further stated.

Amnesty International condemned the attack, describing the killings as horrific and a grave breach of international humanitarian law.

In a statement on Friday, the organisation said the victims were residents who ventured into the surrounding bush to gather firewood to earn a living or to cook for their families.

It called on the Federal Government to take “immediate, transparent, and human rights-compliant measures” to protect vulnerable communities in the North-East.

As of Friday, the police search for the three missing farmers was still ongoing.