Gunmen raided Kasuwan-Daji village in Niger state in northern Nigeria, killing at least 30 villagers and abducting others, police said. The raid occurred Saturday evening in the Borgu local government area, and as of Sunday some residents were still missing.
State police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun said the gunmen opened fire on residents and razed the local market and several houses. He said the attack was carried out in and around the Kasuwan-Daji area.
At least two residents put the death toll at 37 and said it could be much higher because some people remained missing as of Sunday. Locals also said security forces had not yet arrived to search the area, contradicting a police claim that officers had been deployed to look for those kidnapped.
Rev. Fr. Stephen Kabirat, a spokesman for the Catholic Church of Kontagora Diocese, told local media that the gunmen killed more than 40 people and abducted several others, including children.
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu condemned the attack and directed security officials to hunt down the gunmen and rescue the hostages. In a statement, Tinubu said, “These terrorists have tested the resolve of our country and its people,” and added that they “must face the full consequences of their criminal actions.”
Tinubu said in the same statement that “No matter who they are or what their intent is, they must be hunted down,” and that “those who aid, abet, or enable them will also be brought to justice.”
One resident, who asked not to be named for fear of his safety, said the gunmen had been lurking around nearby communities for about a week before Saturday’s attack. He said survivors were too afraid to go back to the village to recover bodies, adding, “The bodies are there (in Kasuwan-Daji village). If we don’t see any security, how can we go there?” He also said the raid lasted for up to three hours.
The Kasuwan-Daji attack happened near the Papiri community, where more than 300 schoolchildren and their teachers were kidnapped from a Catholic school in November. Police also said the attackers arrived from the National Park Forest along Kabe district, pointing to a pattern in which abandoned forest reserves can serve as hideouts for armed gangs.
Such attacks are common in Nigeria, the AP said, with dozens of rogue gangs seeking control often targeting remote communities that have limited security and a limited government presence.