Gunmen kill 17 in raid on Nigerian farming village: official
Key takeaways
- The violence has forced many farmers to keep off their land, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warning such attacks could “aggravate poverty and food insecurity” in the country.
- Bandits on several motorcycles attacked the Tungar Baure village of Zamfara state and opened fire on Friday, Yahaya Abubakar Yari, political administrator of Talata Mafara district, told AFP.
- “The criminals killed 17 people and abducted an unspecified number in the attack on the village,” said Yari, who attended the victims’ funeral.
Why this matters: local context for readers following news across Pakistan and the region.
Add ARY News on Google AAResize KANO, Nigeria: Gunmen from criminal gangs killed 17 farmers in a raid on a rural community in northwest Nigeria, an official said Saturday, in the latest wave of attacks in the restive region.
Weeks into the annual rainy season, jihadists and criminal gangs — kidnappers for ransom and cattle thieves known locally as bandits — have stepped up attacks on farming communities in northern and central Nigeria that fail to pay levies they impose.
The violence has forced many farmers to keep off their land, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warning such attacks could “aggravate poverty and food insecurity” in the country.