Written by: Qusay Ahmed

In a dangerous security escalation in the north NigeriaLocal sources told AFP that a Nigerian state-backed militia, operating alongside the army, carried out an attack that killed dozens of Fulani herders, amid accusations that they were collaborating with an extremist group.

Sources reported that the operation, which also involved members of vigilante groups from neighboring Benin, targeted Fulani herders in the Kabi area of the Borgo region, near the border with Niger State. They indicated that the attack included widespread mass arrests, as well as the shooting of those who resisted arrest.

Violence escalates in Nigeria

Ahmed Ali, a community leader in the neighboring village of Konkosso, said that security forces killed 41 people suspected of being informants for the Ansaru group. He added that the operation was a joint effort between Nigerian and Beninese vigilante groups, supported by the Nigerian army. There was no immediate official comment from the army, with a military spokesman saying only that they were seeking further details about the incident. Authorities in Benin did not respond to requests for comment.

These events come in a complex security context in Niger State, which is one of the rich agricultural regions, where armed groups known locally as bandits are active, involved in cattle rustling and kidnapping for ransom, in addition to the growing influence of jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda, including the Ansaru group.

Analysts point to the potential links between some bandits and jihadist groups as a growing concern, particularly given the escalating violence and reprisals. The targeting of Fulani herders, sometimes suspected of sympathizing with armed groups, has also fueled ethnic tensions, with warnings that such policies could drive some Fulani to join these groups in search of protection.

In a related context, Amnesty International called on Nigerian authorities to investigate the killing of about 150 Fulani people inside a camp run by the military, after they had been displaced fleeing attacks by armed groups in Kwara State.

The death toll remains disputed, with humanitarian sources estimating that the latest attack killed approximately 38 people, attributing the responsibility to vigilante groups from Nigeria and Benin. Conversely, a resident of Kabi indicated that the operation was a preemptive strike following threats from Fulani herders to target farmers during the rainy season in retaliation for the killing of two of their members, who were accused of collaborating with Ansar Allah.

These developments reflect the scale of escalating societal and security tensions in the region, in the absence of radical solutions to the complex conflict between armed groups and local communities.