Attacks on 2 villages in northern Nigeria leave at least 20 people dead, residents say
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Digital Subscription
One year of digital access for only $1.44 a week*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $5.77 plus GST every four weeks. After 52 weeks, price increases to the regular rate of $19.95 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Your next Brandon Sun subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $17.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Gunmen attacked two villages in the north-central region of Nigeria, killing at least 20 people, residents said Wednesday.
The attacks occurred in the early hours of Tuesday in Bagna and Erena, located in the Shiroro area of Niger state. Shiroro is about 250 kilometers (155 miles) or a four-hour drive from the capital, Abuja.
“They came on motorbikes and began shooting. It was a surprise attack, because it was in the early hours of the morning,” said Jibrin Isah, who lives in Erena.
Residents said that at least 20 people were killed, with more missing. However, local police said that only three people were killed.
“Unfortunately, two vigilante members and a driver from the joint security team lost their lives during the attack, while some others were injured,” Niger state police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun said in a statement.
Residents said the attackers operated for hours, raiding homes and sending residents to flee to safety in neighboring communities.
“Those killed in the attacks were above 20,” Muhammad Tukur, a resident of Erena, told The Associated Press.
Nigeria, which is Africa’s most populous country, is battling a complex security crisis, especially in the north where there is a decade-long insurgency and several armed groups who kidnap for ransom.
Disputes over land and grazing between mostly Muslim Fulani herders and largely Christian farming communities frequently escalate into deadly clashes. Criminal gangs are also active.
The insurgency in the northeast has led to the death and displacement of many, according to the U.N.