Terror Attack During Friday Prayers Leaves Villages in Central Nigeria Devastated

Some aeril views of places, people and locations in Niger state Nigeria, Abdulkareem Aliyu Yusuf, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 | Jihad Watch

A deadly terrorist attack struck two villages in Nigeria’s Niger State during Friday prayers, leaving several people dead and an unknown number kidnapped. According to survivors and a local lawmaker who spoke to AFP, the violence escalated into a clash after a rival militant group intervened, allowing some residents to flee.

The assault targeted Dikera village and the nearby community of Binzi in Borgu Local Government Area, a region in western Niger State close to the borders of Kebbi, Kwara, and neighboring Benin. The area has witnessed increasing attacks from heavily armed groups that operate across Nigeria’s porous northwestern borders and the wider Sahel region.

Jibril Ahmad, a survivor from Dikera, recalled that hundreds of militants believed to be members of the Lakurawa group entered the village shortly after worshippers concluded Friday prayers. He said the attackers were armed with guns, knives, and machetes and launched a coordinated assault on the community.

According to Ahmad, the militants killed several residents while accusing villagers of not adhering to what they claimed were the “true teachings,” highlighting the ideological motive behind the brutal attack.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)