Miscreants Gun Down 18 Worshippers At A Mosque In Nigeria Over Land And Water Conflict

Nigeria: On Monday, a total of 18 worshippers were gunned down by miscreants at a mosque in Nigeria while they were offering their early morning prayers, as reported by international media.

The incident took place in the Mazakuka village which is under the Mashegu local government area in the state of Niger in Nigeria. 

The gunmen are believed to belong to the Fulani nomadic herders and have managed to escape from the site of the incident.

According to sources, the conflict over land and water has been going on for decades and about 100 deaths have been reported this year in connection to the issue. Consequently, some members of the Fulani community have taken up arms against the local Hausa farming communities.

The chairman of Mashegu local government area, Alhassan Isah, said to international media, "The gunmen came around the mosque and started shooting them." He added that other than the 18 killed, 4 persons have also been injured in the attack.

According to Niger police commissioner Monday Kuryas, the attack was made over the land and water conflict between the villagers and the Fulani herders.

The northwest and central regions of Nigeria has been considered the most vulnerable to such attacks. The police claimed that most of these places are inaccessible by them and in most cases, the number of gunmen often outnumber the security forces in these areas.

Police Commissioner Kuryas further added they were unable to act swiftly during the recent attack due to the "very difficult" terrain in Mashegu. He added, "It is not accessible by road."

Also Read: Four Animals of Kaziranga National Park Die Of Electrocution In One Single Day

Also Watch: