Two separate attacks on Tuesday June 9th, have resulted in mass casualties in the villages of Felo and Kadisau in Nigeria. The first strike was carried out by regional fighters in the herding village of Felo, in the Gubia district.The men targeted villagers with military grade assault rifles, while those who tried to flee were unfortunately ran over with their vehicles. The ambush left a total of 81 deaths in Felo.The second attack took place in Kadisau, located in the North-Western state of Katsina. Local authorities reported that a group of 200 motorists stormed the community and tragically opened fire on twenty individuals, all of which were trying to protect their homes from the intended looting.
Ahmed Idris from Al Jazeera mentioned that the criminals who raided Felo acted in retaliation for the killings of some of their members at the hands of the Local Defense Unit of the village. Throughout the raid, the attackers managed to capture 1,200 cattle from the local farmers, and then set ablaze the entirety of the village, causing the survivors to lose their homes. Babagana Zulum, the State Governor of Borno, arrived in the community on Wednesday and told the Associated Press that the fighters kidnapped seven people including the village leader. He was outraged by the violence, and identified the ambush as “barbaric.” Officially, there has not been an organized group to claim the attacks, although Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have often been active in the present region. The attack in Kadisau also reflects a growing concern for the lack of stability in the Faskari Local Government Area (LGA) within the Katsani State.
As the violence continues, the United Nations reports that the infighting forced about 23,000 refugees across the border into Niger. Communal leaders from Felo and Kadisau have asked their respective governors to provide more security personnel. They warn they need more fortified State presence to combat the lack of insecurity that is resulting in unprecedented deaths.
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Author: Sergio Gomez
