Gunmen kill 17 in northwest Nigeria

KANO, Nigeria (AFP) — Gunmen have killed 17 folks together with 5 policemen in separate assaults in northwest Nigeria’s Katsina state within the newest wave of violence within the area, police and a neighborhood official mentioned Thursday.

Northwest and central Nigeria are a hub of legal gangs recognized regionally as bandits who raid villages, killing or abducting residents after looting and burning houses.

The criminals, who preserve camps in an unlimited forest straddling Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and Niger states, have been declared terrorists by Nigeria’s authorities in January.

Late on Wednesday a gaggle of round 300 bandits on bikes attacked a police submit close to Gatakawa village in Kankara district, killing 5 policemen, native police spokesman Gambo Isah mentioned.

“We misplaced 5 policemen in (a) gunfight with the bandits in an effort to stop them from raiding Gatakawa village,” Isah mentioned.

The attackers additionally killed three civilians from the village, he added.

Individually, a minimum of 9 folks died between Tuesday and Wednesday in assaults on 4 villages in neighboring Faskari district blamed on the identical gang, native official Musa Ado mentioned.

“4 villages have been attacked and a complete of 9 folks have been killed, with Ruwan Godiya village dropping six folks,” Ado mentioned.

“An individual was killed in every of the opposite three villages the place the bandits looted livestock and different provides,” he added.

Bandits have intensified assaults in Katsina state, working from hideouts in neighboring Zamfara state which is their stronghold.

Though the gangs are motivated by monetary positive aspects with no ideological leaning, Nigerian officers are involved about potential ties with jihadists making inroads from the northeast the place they’re waging a 13-year insurgency.

© Agence France-Presse