Armed men don kidnap dozens of people for attack wey dem carry out for one mosque and villages for inside Nigeria central Niger State, survivors and police officials talk say so.
The raiders storm Kpenya Mosque for Dekara district of Borgu Local Government Area for around 2pm on Friday, after dem first attack villages of Gidan-Zana and Kpenya, police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun talk for Saturday.
Abiodun tell Reuters say police know about the kidnappings but dem no receive report say anybody don die, and say a joint security detachment don dey deployed to the area for assessment and rescue operations. He talk say police no fit confirm the number of people wey dem take.
Local residents tell Reuters say more than 60 worshippers dem kidnap, but the figure no fit independently verified. Separately, residents tell AFP say people also kill, another claim wey no fit immediately confirm.
Jibril Ahmad, one survivor of the assault for Dekara, blame members of the Lakurawa armed group. “Soon after we finish normal Friday prayer, the armed group of Lakurawa, for their hundreds, wielding guns, knives and machetes, begin to attack us,” Ahmad tell AFP, claiming say people dem “slaughtered”.
During the attack, one third group, Mahmuda, intervene and clash with the kidnappers, allowing some abductees to escape, he talk. Federal lawmaker Jafaru Mohammed tell AFP say plenty nearby villages also dem strike.
“Some members of the Mahmuda group dey against the doctrine of the Lakurawa, and when dem hear of wetin the Lakurawa dey do, dem fight them,” Mohammed talk. The attack unfold for one region wey dey near Nigeria western border with Benin wey don see growing activity from local armed groups and fighters from the neighbouring region, even as the country 17-year armed rebellion remain concentrated for northeast.
The violence for Niger State continue go Saturday. Resident Abdullahi Ahmad say the group return to the area to seize more people as a “bargaining chip” for advance of expected troop deployment, and dem plant landmines for the road out of Dekara. “One man and im family wey dey flee the town yesterday dem kill when dem car hit one landmine wey the terrorists plant. Everybody dey live for fear,” he talk.
Mass abductions don be one hallmark tactic of the country armed groups and don evolve into one lucrative, multimillion-dollar industry involving networks of both ideological and nonideological gangs across Nigeria northwest and central regions.
One armed group don post one video wey show wetin residents talk say be about 600 women, children and older people wey dem abduct for the attack on mosque for Dekara village last week. The video wey dem post for Facebook and WhatsApp show large groups of people wey dey sit for one forested area surrounded by armed men. Plenty children dey cry for background.
Mass kidnappings for ransom don become common for parts of north-western and north-central Nigeria, where heavily armed gangs dey frequently raid villages, schools and highways and hold dem until dem pay large sums of money. The violence dey previously focused for north of the country, but gunmen don increasingly move south.
The video surface two days after the latest kidnapping, when gunmen attack worshippers for the mosque for Dekara village during Friday prayers, taking people away for wetin residents talk say be simultaneous raids on several communities. For the video, one gunman wey dey speak for Hausa address families of the captives and urge dem to identify relatives among the people for the footage.
“These be all your people. We dey show you this video so that you fit identify your family members, your fathers, mothers, children and relatives,” the gunman talk. Reuters no fit verify the exact date or the location where dem film the video. However, no older version of the video dem find post online before Sunday.
Four residents say dem fit confirm the identities of some of those dem seize. “The people for the video be from Dekara. I don identify 13 people wey I know,” Ibrahim Abubakar talk. Another resident, Abdulmutallib Muqaddas Dindi, say those wey appear for the video dem seize during the prayers. “We don identify our elders, relatives, and some of us don see their wives and children for the video,” he talk.
Police and state authorities no respond to requests for comment on Monday. Police don earlier confirm attack on worshippers for the area but say dem no fit verify the number of people dem abduct. Jamilu Ibrahim, another resident, appeal to federal and state authorities to secure the release of the captives, pointing out the number of mothers with infants and children among those wey dem show for the footage.
