At least 32 people have been killed and many others are considered missing after a series of brutal raids on the towns of Tunga-Makeri, Konkoso, and Pissa in Nigeria's Niger State. Armed assailants, traveling on motorcycles, attacked the settlements on Saturday morning, setting fire to homes and shops. Local authorities confirm that around 200 bandits participated in the offensive, acting in a coordinated manner to terrorize the local civilian population.

Coordinated Attack on Villages

A group of about 200 bandits on motorcycles simultaneously attacked three towns in Niger State, killing at least 32 people.

Perpetrators' Brutal Methods

Victims were shot or had their throats slit, and the assailants mass-set fire to houses and shops, terrorizing residents.

Numerous Civilian Abductions

In addition to killings, the assailants abducted an unspecified number of people, a typical method used by gangs demanding ransom.

Bloody events in central Nigeria cast a shadow over the security situation in the Borgu region. On Saturday morning, a group of about 200 armed assailants, locally referred to as bandits, carried out a simultaneous attack on three villages. Victims were not only shot but also died from slash wounds, indicating the perpetrators' extreme brutality. The attackers set fire to farm buildings, destroying property and forcing hundreds to flee. Northern and central Nigeria have been grappling with a rising wave of violence for over a decade, which initially stemmed from resource conflicts between herders and farmers and has now evolved into organized crime and terrorism. State police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun reported that security forces attempted to intervene, but the aggressors managed to abduct an unspecified number of residents. The villages are located near the border with Benin, complicating pursuit due to the perpetrators' potential to cross the national border. According to accounts from survivors, the assailants moved on motorcycles, allowing them to quickly traverse difficult terrain and surprise the sleeping population. These attacks are part of a broader security crisis in Nigeria, where the central government in Abuja is struggling with multiple hotspots of unrest simultaneously. Local communities accuse the authorities of insufficient protection, despite the proximity of an air force base located about 200 kilometers from the incident site. „The attackers rode into the village and shot everyone they saw. They spared no one who failed to hide in time.” — A resident of the Borgu region Search operations are currently underway to find the hostages and secure the region against further raids. The humanitarian situation in the attacked towns is dire, as many survivors have lost their entire life's possessions. 32 — fatalities confirmed by local services

Mentioned People

  • Wasiu Abiodun — Spokesperson for the police in Niger State, responsible for providing information on operations against bandits.