Nigeria: Many women and children were trying to escape to a safe place after an hours-long assault by unidentified armed individuals on Wednesday night in Nigeria’s northern region. During this effort, the boat they were fleeing on capsized, killing the occupants.
According to a resident of the Birnin Waje community in Zamfara state in Northern Nigeria, where the assault and incident took place, the area has been volatile for more than a day following the incident.
Additionally, the eyewitnesses and residents of the site have reported that several individuals have fled their homes. 13 people have died attempting to leave the area of the armed attack.
It is yet unclear how many people have drowned. However, according to the locals, those who had fled have not yet returned to their homes.
A Zamfara Government spokesperson in the area Ibrahim Bello has confirmed the armed attack executed by “unsatisfied individuals”. They have also confirmed the unfortunate incident of the drowning. The spokesperson said, “an unknown number of mostly women and children got drowned”. They sought to escape in two boats.
Bello did not confirm whether any arrests have been made in connection to the armed attack.
This armed attack has been attributed to being one of the latest in a number of attacks by armed individuals targeting remote communities in Nigeria’s northwest and central regions.
Regarding responsibility, Nigeria’s authorities blame the attacks on a group of primarily young pastoralists from the Fulani tribe caught up in Nigeria’s conflict between communities and herders over limited access to water and land.
Nigeria’s communities and herders have been engaged in a clash, which often turns deadly. The parties have even ignored the protests and requests of the government. The government is trying to reduce the intensity of these clashes and attacks. Recently, the government has also publicised a number of arrests and seizure of weapons.
