Jihadists kill dozens in Nigerian village attack

Jihadists attacked the village of Dikera in Nigeria's Niger state, killing a double-digit number of people, according to a local politician and survivors cited by AFP. A medical source in the city reported approximately 40 fatalities. The assault occurred during Friday prayers in the Niger state. Survivors identified the jihadist group Lakuwara as the perpetrator, though one resident suggested the Ansaru group was responsible. Some researchers link Lakuwara to an Islamic State affiliate active in the Sahel region. "Shortly after we finished the regular Friday prayer, the armed group Lakuwara in the hundreds began to attack us with shooters, knives and machetes," one survivor, Jibril Ahmad, told AFP. "They slaughtered some of our people and said that we do not practice the true teachings of Islam." Some villagers managed to escape as clashes erupted between Lakuwara and a rival jihadist group. Other nearby villages were also drawn into the fighting, according to Jibril Ahmad and a federal representative, Jafaru Mohammed. The military and the Nigerian government have not yet commented on the attack, and the state police reported no deaths. Nigeria has been plagued by armed jihadist insurgencies for 17 years, with groups like Boko Haram responsible for mass abductions. While unrest is concentrated in the northeast, armed groups have recently increased activity in other parts of the country, including the western region near the Benin border.

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Shortly after we finished the regular Friday prayer, the armed group Lakuwara in the hundreds began to attack us with shooters, knives and machetes. They slaughtered some of our people and said that we do not practice the true teachings of Islam.