A brutal attack on the Nigerian town of Kuchi last Friday has left 10 people dead and at least 160 others kidnapped, according to reports. The armed men, suspected to be members of the Islamist militant group Boko Haram, raided the town at sundown, catching residents off guard as they prepared their evening meals.
“I jumped on my motorbike and rode into the night,” a local resident told the BBC, recounting the chaos. “I left behind my wife, children, and elderly parents. The invaders captured my wife and her elder sister, but my wife managed to escape while they were ferrying the hostages across the Shiroro River.”
The resident, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed his worry about his family’s safety and the trauma they experienced. His wife’s sister is still being held by the kidnappers, who have demanded a ransom from relatives.
Niger state’s security commissioner, Muhammed Bello, confirmed that an investigation is underway, but disputed the number of people kidnapped. Local officials suspect Boko Haram’s involvement due to the jihadists’ flags seen during the attack.
The armed men spent over two hours in the area, cooking food, drinking tea, and looting shops and homes. Local government Chairman Aminu Abdulhamid Najume criticized the lack of security intervention, stating, “Kuchi and neighboring communities remain at the mercy of armed groups.”
The attack has heightened tension and trauma in neighboring communities, with residents mourning their dead and awaiting information on those kidnapped. The paying of ransoms was outlawed in 2021, but locals claim that unless ransoms are paid, little is done by security forces to rescue captives or protect them in the first place.
In a desperate bid for protection, the Kuchi community had hired local hunters as vigilantes, but lack the necessary funds and power to act effectively. The attack on Kuchi is the latest in a series of attacks by armed gangs in the state, leaving residents in a state of fear and uncertainty.
