‘Armed bandits’ kill 10 in northern Nigeria’s Kaduna state

Armed assailants killed at least 10 civilians in attacks on two villages in a restive area of northern Nigeria, witnesses said Monday. The gunmen attacked the communities of Kidandan and Kadai in Kaduna state over the weekend in what authorities said was revenge for law enforcement operations against them. Resident Amiru Lawan Balarabe told AFP that “at least 10 people” were buried after the attack. A second resident Mustapha Yusuf put the figure at 16 killed and said that 25 others were wounded.  Several hundred people fled after the attacks, both witnesses said.

Armed gangs regularly raid villages in central and northwestern Nigeria, killing and kidnapping people as well as looting and burning homes. Kaduna commissioner for internal security and home affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said security forces carried out an offensive after the assault on Kidandan. “The fleeing armed bandits carried out a reprisal attack on Kadai village, leading to loss of lives, and razing of houses, motorcycles and vehicles in the village,” he said in a statement.

Gunmen are believed to hide in the vast forest that stretches across Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and Niger states. Their attacks are generally motivated by money, but security experts have warned that jihadist groups have attempted to infiltrate their ranks.

AFP