Terrorists on killing spree in two Nigerian states

Niger and Plateau States in Nigeria’s northern region have recorded fatal attacks by terrorists, leading to deaths of at least 52 persons.

In Plateau, the gunmen killed 17 persons on Wednesday in Ncha community, in the Bassa Local Government Area of the state.

Nuhu Bitrus, a youth leader in the community, reportedly said the attack lasted several hours.

Bitrus explained the attackers “whom we know to be Fulani, last night invaded the community and started shooting everywhere and killing anyone they saw in sight, while setting people’s houses on fire”.

“The Ancha community is the same place that one person was killed just a few days ago by the same people. We don’t know what to do before the government and security agents will see the need to protect our people from extermination, which obviously is the intent of the attackers.”

The scenario was the same in Niger, where Nakuna and Wurukuchi communities came under attack.

The Niger attack, as said, was a reprisal from the killing by local vigilante of some gunmen a fortnight ago.

The terrorists burned houses and destroyed properties of their victims.

Yahaya Mota, a witness was said to have lost 10 members of his family in the attack.

“After the attack on Nakuna, we discovered that 10 persons from one family were killed and we later found the bodies of 20 others in the bush.

“Also in Wurukuchi, four members of the same family were killed on their farm.”

Apart from the razed houses, he said the gunmen also burnt food barns in the communities before leaving.

“These people didn’t only kill our people and burn down our houses, they also burnt down all the food barns before leaving,” said Mota, according to a report.

Monday Kuryas, the Commissioner of Police for Niger State, confirmed the incident.

TheCornet reports that terrorist attacks have persisted, particularly in the northern part of Nigeria, despite huge military spending and counter-terrorism operations in more than a decade.