At least 30 villagers were killed and several others abducted when gunmen raided Kasuwan-Daji village in Niger state in northern Nigeria on Saturday evening, police said, in the latest outbreak of violence to hit the conflict-prone region. According to authorities, the attackers stormed the village in the Borgu local government area and opened fire on residents, before burning the local market and several homes.
Police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun said the death toll could be even higher, as some residents remained missing. At least 30 deaths were reported by villagers, who warned that the figure could rise. While officials said security forces were deployed to search for those who had been abducted, some community members told local media that no security personnel had yet arrived, raising concerns about the response.
The Kasuwan-Daji attack is part of a long pattern of armed violence in northern and central Nigeria, where bandit gangs and insurgent groups frequently target remote communities that do not have a lot of protection from the security forces. These gangs remain hidden in forests and come out when they have to attack. These forests offer hideouts and bases from where they operate, which has complicated the efforts to stop them.
Nigeria has a history of such attacks
Nigeria has seen such attacks in the past as well, where villages are raided, and people are killed. In Taraba state, armed attackers killed a lot of villagers during the past raids, while in Kaduna and Zamfara states, armed attackers have killed civilians in large numbers and destroyed their homes.
The violence has displaced thousands and has severely hampered local development, which has contributed to the insecurity that has gripped much of northern Nigeria. The continuous attacks are a reminder of the challenges faced by Nigerian security forces in tackling the situation. Human rights groups and local authorities have called for an increase in security to protect rural communities.
