Death toll from northwest Nigeria attack rises to 130

ABUJA: The death toll from an attack last week by gunmen in northwestern Nigeria has doubled to more than 130, the Kaduna state governor said on Tuesday, adding it appeared to have been a deliberate plan to “wipe out certain communities.”

Governor Nasir el-rufai did not elaborate on what he meant. Those killed in last week’s attack were mainly from the Fulani ethnic group, who have been involved in clashes in recent years with people from the Adara ethnic group.

El-rufai told reporters that police were still investigating the motive for the attack in the Kajuru local government area in the south of the state, and there had been arrests. He did not say how many people had been detained

“The more the police dig into this matter, the more it is clear that there was a deliberate plan to wipe out certain communities,” he said, adding that the latest report on the incident showed more than 130 people had been killed.

Locals said the attack took place on Monday last week, although initial reports suggested it took place later in the week. It was first announced late on Friday — the day before Nigeria was supposed to hold a presidential election, but electoral authorities delayed the vote by a week, citing logistical challenges.

Local residents said last week that the attack was a reprisal for violence in October.

— AFP A girl cooks in front of her house at Malkohi refugee camp in Jimeta, Adamawa State, Nigeria. Malkohi is a camp for internal displaced who fled their homes as Boko Haram insurgents advanced across northeastern Nigeria.