National Desk: Another heartbreaking incident of violence has emerged from northern Nigeria. Panic erupted in a village in Niger State on Saturday evening when armed attackers suddenly stormed in and opened fire indiscriminately. At least 30 people were killed in the attack, and several villagers were abducted.
According to police, the attack took place in Kasuwan-Daji village in the Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State. Eyewitnesses said the attackers fired on people without warning and then set fire to the village market and several houses. The village suffered extensive damage from the arson.
Kasuwan-Daji village is located near the Papiri community, where more than 300 children and teachers were abducted from a Catholic school last November. The area is already living under the shadow of violence and fear.
Niger State Police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun confirmed that 30 deaths have been verified so far. However, local villagers claim the death toll could be higher than 37, as many people are still missing. Some villagers remained unaccounted for as of Sunday, raising fears that the death toll could rise.
Villagers also alleged that no security forces arrived in the village for a considerable time after the attack. They said neither the police nor the army were present, although the police claim that security forces have been deployed to search for the abducted villagers.
Security in remote areas of Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, remains a constant concern. Taking advantage of weak security, armed gangs carry out attacks on villages, commit murders, and conduct kidnappings for ransom. According to the police, the armed men who attacked Kasuwan-Daji came from the direction of the national park forest and Kabe district. The dense and secluded forest provides a safe haven for these gangs, making it easy for them to carry out such attacks and then escape.
