MINNA, Nigeria (AP) — Militants attacked a village in Nigeria’s northern Niger state, killing at least 30 villagers and leaving several others missing, police said Sunday, the latest in a series of deadly violence in the region.
Gunmen attacked Kasuwan-Daji village in Borgu Local Government Area on Saturday night and opened fire on residents. State police spokesperson Wasiwu Abiodun said in a statement that they also razed a local market and several houses.
At least two residents put the death toll at 37 and said the death toll was likely much higher because some people were still missing as of Sunday. Locals also said security forces had not yet arrived in the area, contradicting police claims that officers had been deployed to search for the abductees.
Reverend Fr. Stephen Kabirat, spokesman for the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Kontagora where the attack took place, told local media that the gunmen killed more than 40 people and abducted many others, including children.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu condemned the attack and said he had directed security officials to hunt down the gunmen and rescue the hostages.
“These terrorists have tested the resolve of our country and its people,” Tinubu said in a statement. “They must face the full consequences of their criminal actions. Whoever they are and whatever their intentions, they must be hunted. In addition, those who aided, abetted or condoned them will be brought to justice.”
One resident, who requested anonymity because he feared for his safety, said the gunman had been lurking in the neighborhood for about a week before the attack. Now the survivors are afraid to look for the bodies.
“The bodies are there (in the village of Kasuwan-Daji). How are we going to get there if there are no security guards?” the resident said, adding that the attack lasted for up to three hours.
Such attacks are common in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, where dozens of gangs seeking control often target remote communities with limited security and government presence.
The attack in Kasuwan-Daji village occurred near the community of Papiri, where more than 300 students and their teacher were abducted from a Catholic school in November.
Police said the attackers who attacked Kasuwandaji came from the national park forest in the Kabe region, pointing to a common trend of vast abandoned forest reserves becoming hideouts for armed gangs.
