Nigeria’s government claims that at least 40 farmers were slain in Borno state

40 farmers were slain in an attack on the Dumba hamlet in Nigeria’s Borno State on Sunday by suspected Islamist militants, a top state official said on Monday.

According to preliminary accounts, the farmers entered a region renowned for insurgent activity and infested with landmines after straying beyond a military-established security cordon, according to state information commissioner Usman Tar.

According to reports, the terrorists were members of the armed groups Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which have been fighting a protracted insurgency in northeastern Nigeria.

“Any farmers who had escaped the attack were being sought after by security forces,” Tar continued.