Twelve people were killed Sunday, October 2 in the attack on a village in northeastern Nigeria by armed men dressed in uniforms of a self-defense militia, police told AFP on Monday evening.
Heavily armed attackers invaded this herding village located in Bali district of Taraba state. They rounded up some of the residents and opened fire, police spokesman Usman Abdullahi told AFP.
Read alsoNigeria: attack against the convoy of a senator, 5 dead
“We found twelve bodieshe said, adding that eight villagers were still missing after the attack. Northern and central Nigeria are plagued by criminal groups, known locally as “thebandits», who attack and loot villages, kill their inhabitants or kidnap them against the payment of ransoms.
To protect themselves, some communities have formed self-defence militias, often supported by local authorities, and themselves sometimes accused of abuses, thefts, but also extra-judicial executions.
“The attackers claimed to be members of a militia fighting against criminal groups and said they were there to arrest suspectssaid the police spokesperson. They stole 130 cattle, motorcycles and food. Police deployed in the area arrested four of the alleged attackers.
“Arrested suspects aid investigation to determine if attackers are indeed members of a self-defense militia or just criminals pretending to be oneadded the spokesperson.
Read alsoNorthwestern Nigeria: kidnapped priest killed by his captors
At the origin of the rise in violence in these rural regions of Nigeria, we find the fierce competition over resources between herders and farmers. In this area where land for cultivation or grazing is increasingly scarce, conflicts have multiplied, and these communities have mobilized armed groups to ensure their protection.
Taraba state has also seen an upsurge in violence emanating from jihadist groups in the past year, with attacks targeting bars and security forces.
The Nigerian armed forces have been battling a jihadist insurgency in northeast Nigeria for 13 years, mainly concentrated in Borno state. This conflict has claimed more than 40,000 lives and displaced more than two million people.
The most populous country in Africa, with some 215 million inhabitants, is preparing to elect a new president on February 25, Muhammadu Buhari stepping down at the end of his second term as provided for by the constitution.
SEE ALSO – Nigeria: 20 children kidnapped by jihadists, according to residents