Nigerian gunmen kill 25 in raids on northwest villages

Gunmen from transgression gangs killed 25 radical erstwhile they raided 4 villages successful northwestern Nigeria successful reprisals implicit subject offensives connected their hideouts, a section information authoritative said Friday.

The attacks connected Thursday took spot successful Katsina State, 1 of the regions successful northwest Nigeria deed by equipped gangs known locally arsenic bandits who transportation retired wide kidnappings for ransom and looting raids connected villages.

Bandit militias stormed the villages of Unguwar Sarki, Gangara, Tafi and Kore successful Sabuwa territory precocious connected Thursday, opening occurrence connected residents, said Nasiru Babangida, Katsina authorities interior information commissioner.

“Twenty-five radical were killed successful the attacks connected the 4 communities, 19 of them successful Unguwar Sarki colony alone,” Babangida told section radio.

Several residents were injured portion others were kidnapped by the criminals, helium said.

“Most of those killed were vigilantes who came retired to face the bandits.”

Many communities successful northwest Nigeria person formed self-defence vigilante forces to combat disconnected bandits successful distant areas with small authorities beingness and the 2 sides are locked successful a spiral of tit-for-tat killings and reprisals.

The bandits raided the villages successful effect to ongoing subject offensives against their camps successful the country and successful neighbouring Kaduna authorities wherever they person suffered a ample fig of casualties, Babangida said.

“The attacks were successful retaliation for the aerial bombings of their camps successful Katsina and Kaduna states that person killed much than 200 of them,” helium said.

The gangs who support camps successful immense forests straddling Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and Niger states person made headlines for wide kidnappings of students from schools successful caller years.

Bandits person nary ideological leaning and are motivated by fiscal gains but determination has been interest from analysts and officials implicit their expanding confederation with jihadists waging a 15-year equipped rebellion successful the northeast of Nigeria.