Boko Haram insurgents launched an attack on a farm near the town of Bama in Borno State. The businessman, Kellum Alhaji‑Gana (also known as Alhaji Gana), a resident of Maiduguri, had traveled to the farm early that morning to supervise the harvest of beans. Shortly after arriving, the assailants stormed the farm, surrounded the workers, and attempted to abduct them. A family source reported, “The gunmen invaded the farm, rounded up the workers, and attempted to kidnap them. Alhaji Gana, who reportedly resisted the assailants, got shot.” Nearby farmers witnessed Alhaji‑Gana grappling with the gunmen; he initially appeared to overpower them due to his large stature before the attackers retreated and opened fire, killing him. The assailants then abducted four of his co‑workers and fled, leaving Alhaji‑Gana’s body at the farm.
5 Nov 2023 · Farm Near Bama, Bama, Borno
Deaths
1
Injured
0
Kidnapped
4
Total casualties
1
Perpetrators
Boko Haram
Response
The Borno State Police Command confirmed the incident but did not immediately launch a rescue operation or issue a detailed public statement. The acting Police Public Relations Officer acknowledged the attack but noted that no official directive had been received from the Commissioner of Police
Displacement
0
Socioeconomic drivers
The attack occurred during the peak of the harvest season, when farmers and their produce are most valuable. The insurgents’ goal was to abduct the workers for ransom; they killed the businessman only because he resisted. This reflects the group’s continued reliance on kidnapping as a funding mechanism.
Trajectory
This attack is consistent with Boko Haram’s established modus operandi – a swift raid on a farm during harvest season, targeting the owner and workers, with the intention of kidnapping for ransom. The use of a family farm near Bama (a town with a significant military presence) suggests that the insurgents continue to operate with relative impunity in areas that are ostensibly under state control.
Cycle notes
This attack is a direct echo of Boko Haram’s long‑standing strategy of attacking farmers during harvest season, which has been documented extensively in Borno State. It mirrors the November 2020 Zabarmari massacre, the November 2022 attack on farmers in Mafa LGA, and the November 2023 attack on rice farmers in Koshebe. The recurrence of such attacks in the same month (November) year after year indicates a deliberate seasonal pattern: the group exploits the predictable vulnerability of farmers who must tend their fields, and it uses abduction‑for‑ransom as a funding mechanism that becomes especially lucrative during harvest time.
Pattern
Targeted Assassination
Related — Armed Attack
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Gunmen on motorcycles attacked the Fadan Karshi police outpost in a targeted assault. The attackers opened fire indiscriminately, killing two police officers (an Inspector and a Corporal) and two women who were at the station. Two other civilians also died. After the attack, community members mobilized and pursued the gunmen, killing two of them. Several others sustained injuries. The attackers utilized small arms (AK-47 rifles and guns) to overwhelm the security post
Armed Bandits stormed the weekly Goronyo market in eastern Sokoto State on Sunday night. Riding on over 100 motorcycles, they surrounded the market and opened fire indiscriminately on traders and buyers. The attack left at least 49 people dead (some reports cite higher figures). The massacre came just days after a similar attack on Unguwan Lalle market in Sabon Birni LGA that killed 22 traders.