Fourteen Nigerian fishermen were killed by Boko Haram terrorists near the Niger border in the Diffa district on Sunday.
The victims, who had fled the escalating violence in northeast Nigeria, were ambushed while fishing near Bosso, a town close to the Nigerian border. According to Babakura Kolo, a leader of a local vigilante group supporting Nigeria’s military, the fishermen’s throats were slit by the terrorists.
The slain fishermen were originally from the Nigerian towns of Malam Fatori and Doron Baga. Both towns have been heavily affected by the ongoing conflict with armed groups, forcing many residents, including these fishermen, to seek refuge in neighboring Niger.
The Diffa region, located at the border between Niger, Nigeria, and Chad, has been increasingly targeted by Boko Haram and its splinter group, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), in recent years. The violent attack highlights the persistent threat posed by these militant groups in the border areas, where both Nigerian and Nigerien civilians continue to suffer.
Despite fleeing the violence in their homeland, many displaced Nigerians in Niger face constant danger from cross-border attacks. The killing of the 14 fishermen serves as a grim reminder of the ongoing instability in the region and the challenges faced by displaced people seeking safety from extremist groups.
