At least 16 reported killed in northwest Nigeria as villagers battle militants
By Ahmed Kingimi
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) - At least 16 people were killed during a clash between local security forces and Lakurawa insurgents who had raided villages in Nigeria's northwestern state of Kebbi, a police source and residents said on Monday.
The Islamist Lakurawa group emerged after the July 2023 coup in Niger from herding communities along the Nigeria-Niger border.
Nigeria has also been grappling with a long-running insurgency in its northeast, primarily driven by the Islamist armed group Boko Haram and its offshoot, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
One Kebbi resident, Abubakar Augie, said Lakurawa had raided villages in the area and stolen an unspecified number of cattle. The group opened fire at villagers who came out in large numbers to try to stop the assailants, killing at least 16, he said.
A police source said the casualties died during an exchange of fire between local vigilantes and Lakurawa militants. It added that the identity of the victims was unknown and that the bodies had been delivered to a hospital.
Kebbi police spokesperson Nafiu Abubakar confirmed the attack and said a statement would be released soon.
In January, a federal court in Nigeria declared the Lakurawa group a terrorist organisation, a designation that will allow the military to use maximum force against it.
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