Terrorists carrying Boko Haram flags descended on the Kuchi Town of Munya Local Government Area of Niger State in North-central Nigeria, killing eight people, abducting about 160 others, and forcing residents to flee the town. 

Over 300 terrorists riding motorcycles were said to have invaded the community on Friday night, May 24, in an unhindered operation that included killing four security personnel.

According to the Chairman of the Local Government, Aminu Na-Jume, the terrorists operated for several hours in the area, where they cooked food at a local instant noodles restaurant before engaging in their terrorist acts.

Na-Jume said the terrorists who descended on the community on a rainy night also raised fire and warmed their bodies for almost two hours while also cooking. “They then broke into provision stores and looted cold drinks and biscuits,” he said. 

A local resident, Muhammad Auwalu, told HumAngle that the terrorists went from house to house searching for who to abduct, and they went away with many people, including women and children. 

“Some of the few people who remained escaped the town for fear that the terrorists may return,” he told HumAngle. 

Na-Jume said that hundreds of people have now created makeshift tents after the attack, creating more internally displaced persons in Niger State. 

Auwalu suspected that the terrorists could be members of Boko Haram, particularly the Ansaru faction, which has been operating in the villages of Niger State for many years. 

Ansaru, an offshoot of Boko Haram, has a long-standing presence in Niger State. The group is known for its involvement in kidnapping, attacks on security forces, and targeting Western interests. 

HumAngle has reached out to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Niger Command, Wasiu Abiodun, who said he is aware of the attack but doesn’t have the details of its numbers. 

He told HumAngle that the figures quoted by the locals, in some reports, and in circulation were “exaggerated.”