KANO – Armed men killed 50 people in a village in Niger state in northwestern Nigeria earlier this week, humanitarian sources said yesterday, in a much higher toll than previously reported.

The attackers struck the village of Erena in the Shiroro local government area on Tuesday, in a wider region battling a surge in insecurity.
A humanitarian report seen by AFP yesterday said “a total of 50 dead corpses” had been recovered.

Like other states in northern Nigeria, Niger state faces a spike in attacks linked to jihadist groups and local criminal gangs known as “bandits”, who attack villages and take hostages for ransom.
The report said 34 local hunters working with Nigerian intelligence in tracking down criminals, as well as 14 local self-defence militiamen and two civilians were killed.

A military report seen by AFP on Wednesday said a large number of “bandits” on motorcycles and with “sophisticated arms” had carried out the attack.
Shiroro is a mainly agricultural region and home to Nigeria’s third-largest hydroelectric power station.

It has become a bastion for bandits and jihadists in recent years who, despite military operations, are increasingly forging alliances. 

– Nampa/AFP