Jihadists attacked worshippers during Friday prayers in central Nigeria, killing and abducting scores of people in an incident that occurred in the village of Binzi, Niger State. The precise number of casualties remained unconfirmed, according to federal representative Jafaru Mohammed.
Jibril Ahmad, a survivor, described the assault: "Soon after finishing the normal Friday prayer, the armed group of Lakuwara, in their hundreds, wielding guns, knives and machetes, began to attack us." Ahmad stated that the militants claimed their victims were "not practising the true teachings of Islam."
Some individuals reportedly escaped the initial attack when a rival jihadist group, known as Mahmuda, engaged the militants. Niger state police acknowledged awareness of the kidnappings but stated they had not received reports of fatalities.
Nigeria is grappling with a 17-year insurgency by various jihadist groups, who frequently employ kidnappings as a tactic, most notably the 2014 abduction of hundreds of schoolgirls in Chibok. While the insurgency is largely concentrated in the northeast, Friday's attack in the west of the country indicates a widening area of activity, exacerbated by the splintering conflict and the movement of militants from the Sahel region.
In areas with limited government and security presence, some jihadist militants have presented themselves as an alternative authority. Efforts to bolster Nigeria's security forces are underway, with President Bola Tinubu recently announcing pay raises and an increase in military recruitment to address the welfare of the country's overstretched and underpaid personnel.
This latest incident follows closely after the rescue of 163 Nigerians who had been held captive by jihadists. These freed captives, predominantly women and children, were handed over to authorities earlier this month. They were originally abducted on February 3 when militants attacked the village of Woro, an event that resulted in over 160 other deaths. That February attack highlighted the southward movement of militants previously focused in the north, intensifying competition for territory and resources in areas where armed groups can outnumber security forces.
The United States provides military support to Nigeria, asserting that the aid aims to protect Nigerian Christians, although much of this support is focused on logistics and intelligence gathering in the conflict-ridden northern regions. The victims rescued in February were recovered alongside 145 other individuals, mostly from neighboring Niger State, from the Kainji Lake National Park. President Tinubu described the February operation as the "largest rescue operation ever" conducted in a single day and pledged to intensify efforts against armed gangs. The method of the captives' rescue from the park was not detailed by local authorities.