In a harrowing incident, armed assailants in Nigeria’s central Niger state left at least eight individuals dead and abducted nearly 150 villagers, according to a local government official on Monday.
Aminu Najume, the head of the local government, revealed that the attackers, riding motorcycles, carried out the assault on Friday evening.
They killed eight people during the attack and subsequently abducted around 150 villagers from the village of Kuchi.
Najume described the assailants’ modus operandi, noting that each motorcycle was occupied by three men. He lamented the absence of assistance during the three-hour-long operation.
While a United Nations source confirmed the casualty figures, the Nigerian Relief Agency reported that more than 100 individuals had been kidnapped.
Kidnappings for ransom are sadly common in various regions of Nigeria, including the northwest, northeast, and central areas.
Criminal gangs, armed to the teeth, often target remote villages, looting and abducting residents for monetary gain.
Terrorist groups like Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) are known to engage in regular kidnapping operations across Nigeria.
