Residents in parts of central Niger State say gunmen have attacked and kidnapped nearly 100 people in the town of Shadadi.
Wednesday’s attack comes at a time of heightened security concerns in Niger since There state governor confirmed that Boko Haram had entered the town.
Residents of Shadadi in Mariga Local Government Area say thousands of people have fled after being attacked by gunmen.
Then there are those who say the death toll is over 100, the number the state government says is less than that. A resident interviewed by the BBC Hausa Service said more than 1,000 gunmen had attacked, killing eight people and wounding four.
According to the man who asked not to be named, almost all the villagers fled to neighboring towns such as Kontagora. The Niger State Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Sani Idris, confirmed the attack but said the number of people allegedly abducted was less than 100.
He said they were currently compiling statistics to determine the number of people affected by the attack and had already sought the cooperation of the federal government.
There was no immediate word on whether the attackers were Boko Haram members.The current security situation in the country is alarming and the magnitude of the security crisis the continues to take on a new dimension.
