Jihadists kill scores, abduct others during Friday prayers in Niger State

Jihadists killed several people and abducted others during Friday prayers in Niger State, according to survivors and a local lawmaker who spoke to AFP on Saturday.

The attack took place in Dikera village, in Borgu Local Government Area, near Nigeria’s border with Benin. Witnesses said the attackers stormed the village shortly after residents finished their Friday prayers.

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A survivor, Jibril Ahmad, said the attackers stormed the village shortly after Friday prayers. He said the gunmen, armed with guns, knives and machetes, attacked residents and killed some of them.

“They slaughtered some of our people, saying we were not following the true teachings of Islam,” he said.

Several nearby villages were also attacked, according to Ahmad and federal lawmaker Jafaru Mohammed.

The attackers were identified by some residents as members of Lakurawa, a group that some researchers have linked to Islamic State Sahel Province. However, another resident said the attack was carried out by Ansaru, another jihadist group.

The exact death toll remained unclear on Saturday. A medical source in Dikera said about 40 people had initially been killed.

Police in Niger State said they were aware of the kidnappings but had not received reports of any deaths.

Rival jihadist group intervenes

Survivors said another armed group, Mahmuda, later clashed with the attackers. The fighting reportedly allowed some of the abducted residents to escape.

Mohammed said some members of the Mahmuda group opposed Lakurawa’s beliefs and attacked them after hearing about the killings.

Another resident, Abdullahi Ahmad, said the attackers returned to the area on Saturday to abduct more people. He also alleged that they planted landmines on a road leading out of the village.

He said a man and his family were killed when their vehicle ran over one of the mines while trying to escape.

The attacks have increased fears among residents as security forces prepare to respond.

Jihadist violence in central and northwestern Nigeria has increased in recent years, while criminal bandit groups have also carried out widespread killings and kidnappings.

In neighbouring Zamfara State, at least 23 people were reportedly kidnapped and four others killed in attacks on villages and herders’ settlements on the same day.

Nigerian security forces are already dealing with several conflicts across the country, including the long-running Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgency in the northeast and armed banditry in the northwest and central regions.