Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu told BBC on Monday that the farmers should have waited for military clearance before proceeding to the farms.

He explained though the military is in “full control” of all parts of Borno, the farmers and residents ought to get clearance before visiting certain areas.

No fewer than 43 rice farmers were killed by Boko Haram in Zabarmari, about 20 kilometres from Maiduguri, at the weekend.

The attack was described by the United Nations as “the most violent attack” targeted at civilians in 2020.

Shehu, however, blamed the farmers the incident, saying they shouldn’t have gone to the farms without clearance.

“Ideally, all of these places ought to probably be allowed to pass the test of military clearance before settlers or even farmers resume activities on those fields.”

He argued visiting certain places in the north-east, which has come under the weight of Boko Haram insurgency for more than 10 years, is “a window that the terrorists have exploited”.

“The military is not present on every inch of space in that area,” he said, adding: “Even if the people are ready to go back, some of these areas have been mined and mine clearance has to be carried out first.”

(C) The Nation