In the town of Marte, located in Borno State, there have been distressing reports about two fishermen who had their hands severed by militants associated with ISWAP.Â
These militants accused the fishermen of stealing fish, an accusation that arose within the context of a larger group of fishermen operating under the control of ISWAP, where they were subject to various levies and taxes.
Zagazola Makama, a knowledgeable expert on counter-insurgency and a security analyst in the Lake Chad region, shared this unsettling information through a post on X.
According to Makama, the two fishermen incurred the wrath of the militants when they failed to meet their financial obligations in the form of taxes.
The situation escalated as the terrorists not only accused the fishermen of non-compliance but also confiscated eight cartons of fish that belonged to them.
Remarkably, the militants were compelled to abandon two cartons due to limited space on their canoe after loading the fish.
In an unexpected turn, the resilient fishermen managed to secretly retrieve the two abandoned cartons, leading to their subsequent arrest by ISWAP on charges of theft.
This unfortunate development took a darker turn when the leader of the militant group invoked Sharia law and ordered the gruesome punishment of severing the hands of the two fishermen.
This disturbing incident sheds light on the complexities faced by those living under the control of militant groups, where economic activities are not only closely monitored but also subjected to harsh penalties for non-compliance.
