Gunmen on motorcycles launched attacks on three villages in central Nigeria, resulting in the deaths of at least 46 individuals, according to a humanitarian source speaking to AFP on Saturday.
This incident once again highlights Nigeria’s struggle to address security challenges, a matter that has drawn criticism from US President Donald Trump.
A security report obtained by AFP revealed that the assailants utilized 41 motorcycles, each carrying two or three individuals.
The targeted villages are located in the Borgu local government area within Niger State, near the border with Kwara State, where a previous attack by jihadists claimed the lives of over 160 people earlier this month.
The most devastating attack occurred in Konkoso village, where at least 38 individuals were either shot or had their throats slit, as reported by the anonymous humanitarian source to AFP.
The majority of residential structures in Konkoso were burned, and in addition to the confirmed fatalities, efforts are underway to recover more bodies, the source mentioned.
A Konkoso resident recounted that the attackers first struck Tungar Makeri village before moving on to their village.
A spokesperson for the police in Niger State informed AFP that six individuals lost their lives in Tungan Makeri during the assault at around 6:00 am.
Concerns over the rising death toll
“Several residences were set ablaze, and an unknown number of individuals were taken captive,” the police spokesperson stated, adding that authorities are gathering information on the attacks in the other two villages.
The Konkoso resident mentioned that his nephew was among those killed in Konkoso.
“They set fire to numerous houses and kidnapped four women,” he described.
“Following Konkoso, they proceeded to Pissa, where they destroyed a police station and took one life.”
“Currently, many individuals are unaccounted for,” he added.
The border shared by Kwara and Niger states encompasses the Kainji Forest, known as a hideout for bandits and jihadists.
Nigeria has been contending with a jihadist insurgency in the northeast for more than sixteen years.
Additionally, the country faces conflicts between farmers and herders in the north-central region, separatist activities in the southeast, and incidents of kidnapping for ransom in the northwest.
Jihadist factions are active in the northwest and west-central regions, taking advantage of escalating insecurity in neighboring nations such as Niger and Burkina Faso.
Numerous armed groups, locally known as “bandits,” are causing chaos by pillaging villages, committing murders, and abducting locals.
Earlier in February, jihadists killed over 160 individuals in an assault on Woro village in Kwara State.
The Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), affiliated with al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility for its initial attack on Nigerian soil near Woro back in October.
Leaders from religious and community groups in the Borgu area recently urged President Bola Tinubu to establish a military presence in the region to halt the recurring attacks, as reported by Nigerian media.
On December 25, the US military collaborated with Nigerian authorities to conduct airstrikes in Sokoto State, targeting what the US described as Islamic State militants.
President Trump has asserted that Christians in Nigeria are facing “persecution” and are victims of a “gen
