Daijiworld Media Network - Abuja

Abuja, Feb 15: At least 32 people were killed after gunmen carried out simultaneous dawn attacks on three communities in north-central Nigeria, police and a local resident said on Saturday.

The coordinated raids targeted the communities of Tunga-Makeri, Konkoso and Pissa in the Borgu area of Niger State.

Niger State Police Command spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun confirmed that six people were killed in the attack on Tunga-Makeri and added that an unspecified number of residents were abducted.

He also confirmed an attack on Konkoso community but did not provide casualty figures. “Joint security teams have been mobilised to the scene for assessment and efforts to rescue the victims are ongoing,” Abiodun said.

However, Abdullahi Adamu, a resident of Konkoso, claimed that 26 people were killed in his community alone. “They were operating freely without the presence of any security,” he said.

Northern Nigeria has been grappling with a complex security crisis involving Islamist militants and heavily armed criminal gangs who frequently carry out mass kidnappings for ransom.

Saturday’s violence comes days after a deadly attack earlier this month in neighbouring Kwara State that reportedly left 162 people dead, underscoring the worsening security situation in the region.

In recent months, Nigeria has also drawn scrutiny from the United States government, which has accused Nigerian authorities of failing to adequately protect Christians, though attacks in the country have affected both Christian and Muslim communities.

The accusations have led to a strengthened security partnership between the two countries, including reported US strikes targeting armed groups in Nigerian territory in December and the deployment of a US military team to the West African nation.