Boko Haram militants killed 14 Nigerian fishermen in Niger’s Diffa region, near the Nigerian border, according to reports from an anti-jihadist militia leader on Tuesday.
The victims, who had fled ongoing violence in northeast Nigeria, were ambushed and killed while fishing near Bosso on Sunday.
Babakura Kolo, a leader of a vigilante group assisting Nigeria’s military, confirmed the incident, saying, “All 14 fishermen had their throats slit by Boko Haram terrorists operating in the Bosso area close to the border.”
The fishermen were from the Nigerian towns of Malam Fatori and Doron Baga. They were among thousands who had sought refuge in Niger to escape repeated attacks by armed groups.
The Diffa region, which borders Nigeria and Chad, has faced increasing attacks from Boko Haram and its splinter group, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), despite ongoing military efforts to curb the insurgency.
Reports indicate that the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), a state-funded militia made up of locals trained by the Nigerian military, supports operations in northeastern Nigeria.
Ibrahim Liman, a CJTF member, confirmed the attack near Malam Fatori on the Nigerian side of the border.
Northeastern Nigeria has been in conflict for 15 years, resulting in over 40,000 deaths and displacing about two million people. According to the United Nations, around 138,000 people have fled to Niger.
Many of the displaced survive on fishing, logging, and scavenging, though these activities often make them targets for militants who accuse them of espionage or collaborating with the military.
In May, ISWAP militants killed dozens of fishermen on three islands in Nigeria’s section of Lake Chad.
The attack was reportedly retaliation for military airstrikes that destroyed ISWAP camps, causing significant losses among the group’s fighters and their families.
Lake Chad, spanning Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, and Chad, remains a strategic base for both Boko Haram and ISWAP, who use the region to launch cross-border attacks.
