Armed bandits kill at least 30 in Niger state village, loot market

Armed men have attacked the village of Kasuwan-Daji in Nigeria’s Niger state, killing at least 30 people and looting shops, according to state authorities.

The attackers reportedly emerged from a nearby forest on Saturday, setting fire to the local market, raiding shops, and abducting an unspecified number of residents.

A local journalist told the BBC Hausa service that the gunmen, riding motorcycles and heavily armed, rounded up villagers and slaughtered many, while others were shot dead.

Abdullahi Rofia of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency confirmed that villagers were rounded up and killed, adding that survivors are terrified and hiding, too afraid to speak for fear of further attacks.

Niger state police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun said an emergency response team has been deployed to assist the injured, while security forces work to rescue those kidnapped.

While paying ransom to these criminal groups classified by the government as terrorists is illegal, reports suggest the practice is often ignored.

The spate of attacks and kidnappings by armed gangs, known locally as bandits, has been a persistent problem in Nigeria, with recent incidents increasing in the western and central regions.