Dozens killed in Nigeria jihadist attacks: residents, militias

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ABUJA: Jihadist militants launched a series of coordinated attacks across several villages in Nigeria’s northern Kaduna state, resulting in the deaths of at least 38 people. 

The raids, which occurred late Friday and early Saturday, targeted rural communities where residents were reportedly ambushed by gunmen on motorcycles. Local militias and community leaders confirmed that the attackers opened fire indiscriminately and set fire to dozens of homes, forcing hundreds of survivors to flee into nearby forests for safety.

The violence is attributed to splinter groups of Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which have intensified their presence in the region. Security analysts suggest that these groups are increasingly targeting agrarian communities to seize food supplies and livestock as they face pressure from military offensives elsewhere.

Despite the deployment of rapid response troops to the affected districts, witnesses noted that the militants had retreated into the vast forest reserves bordering the state before government forces arrived.

The Kaduna State government has condemned the massacre, describing it as a cowardly act intended to destabilize the region's agricultural heartland. Meanwhile, search and recovery operations are ongoing, with local volunteers discovering more bodies in the charred remains of houses. 

This latest surge in displacement has prompted urgent calls from humanitarian organizations for the federal government to establish permanent security outposts in vulnerable border villages to prevent further mass casualties.