Reports from Niger State have it that at least 18 worshippers have been killed by gunmen who attacked a mosque in northern Nigeria state during early morning prayers Monday.
The incident took place in Mazakuka village in Mashegu Local Government Area of Niger State. The armed men, believed to be ethnic Fulani nomadic herders, managed to escape.
There has been multiple ethnic violence which has caused hundreds of casualties in a fight over access to water and land this year alone. Some of the Fulani have taken up arms against the local Hausa communities.
Alhassan Isah, Chairman of Mashegu Local Government Area, told newsmen that another four people were also wounded in the attack.
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Isah stated:
The gunmen came around the mosque and started shooting them.
Niger police commissioner Monday Kuryas said the attack was also connected to the conflict between the villagers and the Fulani herders. Nigeria’s northwest and central regions have witnessed a sudden spike in deadly violence.
Communities that are most affected are usually in hard-to-reach areas, such as the latest in Mazakuka, which is about 270 kilometres away from the state capital.
The group of armed men often outnumber security operatives in these regions. The lack of law enforcement, together with poorly armed security personnel, often results in attacks that could last for hours before help finally arrives.
Mr Kuryas acknowledged that the “very difficult” terrain in Mashegu made it even harder for the police to respond to the security alert swiftly. “It is not accessible by road,” he said.
