NIGER: Gunmen riding motorcycles attacked three villages in Nigeria’s Niger state early Saturday, killing at least 32 people and burning dozens of homes and shops, officials and residents said.
The attackers struck the villages of Tunga Makera, Kunkuso and Pissa in Borgu Local Government Area, near the border with the Republic of Benin.
State police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun said six people were killed in the assault on Tunga Makera. He said an unspecified number of residents were abducted. He confirmed the attack on Kunkuso but gave no further details. He said joint security teams had deployed to the area and were working to rescue victims.
Residents described a coordinated and brutal assault.
Owal Ibrahim, a resident of Tunga Makera, said gunmen stormed the village around 3 a.m. local time. He said the attackers arrived in large numbers on motorcycles, opened fire, beheaded six people and killed others. They torched shops and forced residents to flee.
He said many villagers remain afraid to return because gunmen are still present in nearby areas.
Nigeria faces mounting insecurity that has put pressure on the government to restore order. Northern Nigeria grapples with a complex security crisis. Islamist militant groups operate in the region, while armed gangs carry out kidnappings for ransom and deadly raids.
The latest violence follows a mass-casualty attack earlier this month in neighboring Kwara state, where 162 people were killed.
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Security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States has increased in recent months. Washington has raised concerns about the protection of religious minorities in Nigeria. The two countries have since expanded their security partnership. Reports said U.S. operations targeted armed groups in December, and a team of American military personnel is currently in the West African nation.
