NIGER: At least 32 people were killed and dozens abducted after armed men riding motorcycles carried out coordinated attacks on villages in Nigeria’s Niger State.

According to eyewitnesses and local police, the attackers targeted three villages in the Borgu area. State police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun confirmed that gunmen stormed Tunga Makeri village, killing six people, burning homes, and abducting several residents before moving toward the village of Kankoso.

Residents said heavy gunfire erupted early in the morning in Kankoso, where attackers shot indiscriminately. Casualty figures from the village range between 26 and 38 dead. A police station was also set ablaze, and several people remain missing.

News agencies reported that the assailants also struck Pisa village, killing one person and setting many houses on fire.

The area lies near the border of Niger and Kwara states, close to the Kainji forest, which is considered a hideout for extremist and armed groups, including Boko Haram.

Local religious and community leaders have urged the country’s president to establish a permanent military base in the region to curb recurring attacks.

Last year, the president of United States criticized Nigeria’s security situation. However, Nigerian authorities maintain that both Christians and Muslims face threats from armed groups and that no single religious community is being systematically targeted.