Manhunt launched for killers of 100 villagers in Nigeria

Abuja, March 17: Police authorities in Nigeria Sunday ordered a manhunt for suspected killers of local people in villages across the northwestern state of Kaduna, promising to bring the culprits to book.

About 100 people were reported killed late Friday and early Saturday during an attack that spread across three villages in the southern part of the state. It was suspected to be a perpetration of local herdsmen who brandished sophisticated weapons and unleashed terror on the villagers, Xinhua reported.

Kaduna state police spokesperson Aminu Lawan said security agents were on top of the situation and more policemen had been deployed to the affected areas. The police officers were tasked to ensure law and order in the areas, he added.

The attackers escaped through a community that shares boundary with the central state of Plateau, where more frequent attacks by herdsmen were reported recently, according to security agents.

Residents said the attackers, numbering 40 or more, killed more than 50 people in one of the villages. Many houses were also burnt, as the attackers went on rampage.

People who attempted to escape were gunned down by the attackers, according to resident Ali Waziri, one of the survivors of the attack. "I was just lucky to have escaped," he said.

Meanwhile, a full scale investigation had been launched into the incident by Governor Mukhtar Yero of the northwest state. The governor condemned the attack in strong terms and described it as wicked and ungodly.

A spokesperson of the governor said an emergency security council meeting had been summoned, with a view of ascertaining the cause of the situation.

The West African country's northern part is plagued by violence, including attacks by the Boko Haram sect. Communal clashes have also been reported in the central state of Plateau which shares borders with many northern states.

IANS