18 villagers shot dead at mosque in Nigeria
At least 18 worshipers were killed by gunmen who attacked a mosque in northern Nigeria during Monday morning prayers, local officials and police told the Associated Press. The attack took place in the village of Mazakuka in the Mashegu Local Government Area of the country’s Niger state. The attackers, believed to be ethnic Fulani nomadic herders, managed to escape.
Similar ethnic violence, which has led to hundreds of deaths so far this year, stems from decades-long conflicts over access to water and land. Some of the Fulani caught in that conflict have taken up arms against the local Hausa farming communities.
“The gunmen came around the mosque and started shooting at them,” Alhasan Isah, president of the Mashegu local government area, told the AP. He said four other people were injured.
Niger Police Commissioner Kuryas said on Monday that the attack was related to a clash between villagers and Fulani herders.
The latest attack is another example of the disturbed security situation in most of the states in the north-west and central regions of Nigeria. The North West in particular is seeing a rise in deadly violence.
Most of the affected communities are in remote areas, such as the latest one in Mazacuaca, which is about 270 kilometers (167 mi) from the state capital. Gunmen often outnumber security personnel in those communities, and inadequate police presence as well as poorly armed security personnel often lead to attacks that last a long time before help arrives.
A week ago in northwestern Sokoto state, attackers attacked a rural area and lasted more than 12 hours, killing at least 40 people and displacing many.
The attackers have become hideouts with little or no government presence, with security analysts saying the government has shown a lack of will to address the problem.
Regarding the latest violence in Niger, state police commissioner Kuras acknowledged that the “very difficult” terrain in Mashegu made it difficult for police to respond swiftly to security alerts. “It is not accessible by road,” he said.
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