Death toll from Nigeria attack rises to over 100

A delegation of Nigeria's Senate, headed by Ahmed Lawan has paid a visit to the northeastern Borno state where an attack on farmworkers killed dozens of people over the weekend.

43 farmers are reported to have been killed but some revised figures from local authorities put it at 100.

The governor of Borno state, Babagana Zulum, attended the victims' funerals on Sunday. "Yesterday about 43 people have been buried but this morning when we asked the community they said, they had additional 33 burials." Babakura Abba Joto, Information Commissioner Borno state said Monday morning.

The United Nations on Monday said and maintained that in fact 110 farmers had been killed by suspected Boko Haram insurgents in Zabarmari community, Borno State. President Mohammadu Buhari (retd.), in response said he had directed the nation’s Armed Forces to take the anti-terrorism fight to the insurgents. Farmers have previously been attacked by militants of the Islamist group Boko Haram, who suspect them of passing on information to the military.

Last month, Boko Haram fighters killed 22 farmers working on irrigation fields in two separate attacks. The Nigerian government has repeatedly claimed that the Islamist militant groups have been technically defeated but attacks have continued on local communities and on Nigerian soldiers.