Dozens killed in Nigeria village attack

By Vatican News

Gunmen attacked the village of Faduma Koloram, in the Gubio district of Borno state, on Tuesday afternoon.

In their rampage, they shot and killed residents, stole cattle and camels and razed the village to the ground.

Witnesses described how the attackers took people off guard, saying there was nowhere to hide and they couldn't escape.

Giving a dramatic account, a community leader said the attackers had mown down the 69 villagers including children as they watched over their cattle.

It’s suspected that the fighters were from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) a splinter faction that broke away from Boko Haram in 2016.

Reuters reported that the militants suspected villagers of sharing information about their movements to security forces.

In recent months ISWAP has been blamed for an increase in attacks on civilians.

The decade-long conflict has killed 36,000 people and displaced around two million from their homes in Nigeria’s northeast.