KANO: Gunmen attacked a distant village in central Nigeria, killing eight individuals and kidnapped about 150 extra within the nation’s newest mass abduction, officers advised AFP on Monday.
Massive-scale kidnappings for ransom are frequent in Nigeria’s northwest and central states, the place closely armed gangs recognized domestically as bandits typically goal distant villages.
Attackers on motorbikes stormed Kuchi village in Niger state on Friday evening, the place they killed eight individuals and “kidnapped about 150 villagers,” native authorities chairman Aminu Najume stated.
“They got here on round 100 bikes every carrying three males,” he stated. “No assist got here all through the three hours they took working within the village.”
A UN supply gave the identical determine for the quantity kidnapped, whereas Nigerian state rescue company SEMA stated greater than 100 had been kidnapped.
Boko Haram and rival jihadist group Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) additionally recurrently perform abductions in northeast Nigeria.
Some jihadist teams have established a presence exterior the area together with in Niger state.
Najume, who blamed bandits for Friday’s assault, accused Nigerian safety forces of failing to forestall common raids.
“These killers normally are available in from neighbouring Kaduna state to function in Niger and return. They arrive in lots of and surprisingly safety personnel do not see them whereas they’re on their approach. And when villagers alert them they take no motion,” he stated.
The Nigerian military says it recurrently carries out operations towards gunmen within the area and rescues kidnap victims.
‘On the mercy of gunmen’
Bandits haven’t any ideological leaning and are motivated by monetary acquire, however there was concern over their rising alliance with jihadists waging a 15-year insurgency within the northeast.
Many communities in northwest Nigeria have fashioned self-defence vigilante forces to struggle off bandits in distant areas with little state presence.
Najume stated the gunmen had killed 4 vigilantes and 4 villagers.
Rights group Amnesty Worldwide condemned the assault, saying on social media: “The invasion of the village by the gunmen is yet one more indication of the Nigerian authorities’ utter failure to guard lives.”
“The Nigerian authorities have left the agricultural communities of Niger state on the mercy of gunmen who kill and abduct individuals each day,” it added.
The group referred to as on the authorities to forestall mass kidnappings and produce the culprits to justice.
AFP contacted the police and the Nigerian presidency for remark, however they didn’t instantly reply.
Knowledge on kidnapping is notoriously unreliable due to under-reporting, however in March Nigerian danger consultancy SBM Intelligence stated it had recorded 4,777 individuals kidnapped since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu took workplace in Might final yr.
Massive-scale kidnappings for ransom are frequent in Nigeria’s northwest and central states, the place closely armed gangs recognized domestically as bandits typically goal distant villages.
Attackers on motorbikes stormed Kuchi village in Niger state on Friday evening, the place they killed eight individuals and “kidnapped about 150 villagers,” native authorities chairman Aminu Najume stated.
“They got here on round 100 bikes every carrying three males,” he stated. “No assist got here all through the three hours they took working within the village.”
A UN supply gave the identical determine for the quantity kidnapped, whereas Nigerian state rescue company SEMA stated greater than 100 had been kidnapped.
Boko Haram and rival jihadist group Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) additionally recurrently perform abductions in northeast Nigeria.
Some jihadist teams have established a presence exterior the area together with in Niger state.
Najume, who blamed bandits for Friday’s assault, accused Nigerian safety forces of failing to forestall common raids.
“These killers normally are available in from neighbouring Kaduna state to function in Niger and return. They arrive in lots of and surprisingly safety personnel do not see them whereas they’re on their approach. And when villagers alert them they take no motion,” he stated.
The Nigerian military says it recurrently carries out operations towards gunmen within the area and rescues kidnap victims.
‘On the mercy of gunmen’
Bandits haven’t any ideological leaning and are motivated by monetary acquire, however there was concern over their rising alliance with jihadists waging a 15-year insurgency within the northeast.
Many communities in northwest Nigeria have fashioned self-defence vigilante forces to struggle off bandits in distant areas with little state presence.
Najume stated the gunmen had killed 4 vigilantes and 4 villagers.
Rights group Amnesty Worldwide condemned the assault, saying on social media: “The invasion of the village by the gunmen is yet one more indication of the Nigerian authorities’ utter failure to guard lives.”
“The Nigerian authorities have left the agricultural communities of Niger state on the mercy of gunmen who kill and abduct individuals each day,” it added.
The group referred to as on the authorities to forestall mass kidnappings and produce the culprits to justice.
AFP contacted the police and the Nigerian presidency for remark, however they didn’t instantly reply.
Knowledge on kidnapping is notoriously unreliable due to under-reporting, however in March Nigerian danger consultancy SBM Intelligence stated it had recorded 4,777 individuals kidnapped since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu took workplace in Might final yr.
