Chad’s Army accused of k!lling scores of fishermen in Nigeria while targeting Boko Haram

Two anti-jihadist militia assisting Nigerian soldiers in fighting the militant groups in the region told AFP that several fishermen were k!lled in the bombardment. 

“There was an attack on fishermen by a (fighter) jet belonging to the Chadian military in Tilma island which killed scores of fishermen,” Babakura Kolo, an anti-jihadist militia leader, said. 

“The jet mistook the fishermen for Boko Haram terrorists who attacked a military base inside Chad on Sunday,” Kolo added. 
 

Requesting anonymity, a Chadian general staff officer confirmed with AFP that strikes “were carried out on islands located on the borders of Nigeria and Niger”. 

“Boko Haram fighters often blend in with the fishermen and farmers whenever they commit their crimes. It is therefore difficult to distinguish between the population and the terrorists,” he said. 
 

Most of the fishermen caught up in the aerial attack were from the towns of Baga, Doron-Baga and Duguri on the shores of Lake Chad, said Ibrahim Liman, another anti-jihadist militia. 

“The fighter jet encircled Tilma before beginning to drop bombs while people run in all directions for cover,” said fisherman Sallau Arzika. 

Arzika escaped the airstrike and made it back to the garrison town of Monguno. 

“A large number of fishermen were k!lled. No one can give an exact number because bodies are still scattered across Tilma.” 
 

Fisherman Labo Sani from Doron-Baga told AFP that two of his friends were k!lled in the airstrike while a third was critically injured. 

“We were carrying out our fishing and it never crossed our mind that we would be attacked and k!lled by a fighter jet,” said Sani.