Heavily armed men attacked a mine in central Nigeria on Wednesday (June 29th), killing security personnel and kidnapping workers, including at least four Chinese, local authorities said in a statement on Thursday.
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Heavily armed criminal gangs, known locally as "
bandits
", have been raiding villages in northwestern and central Nigeria to kidnap or kill residents for years, but their attacks have recently escalated.
These "bandits" also target infrastructure projects and mining sites, including kidnapping foreign workers for ransom.
Dozens of Chinese employees have been targeted in recent years.
They are most often released after payment of a ransom.
On Wednesday afternoon, these gunmen attacked a mine located in the village of Ajata Aboki, in the Shiroro area of eastern Niger state, regional security officer Emmanuel Umar said.
“
People employed at this mine site, including four Chinese nationals, have been abducted
,” he added, adding that their exact number was yet to be determined.
Security guards confronted the attackers, leaving both sides dead, but the exact number also remains to be determined, authorities added.
They do not specify the raw material extracted in this mine, nor the name of the company in charge of its exploitation.
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A climate of almost generalized violence reigns in the north of the most populous country in Africa, plagued by criminal gangs in the west, and jihadists in the east, which are increasing attacks and kidnappings, less than a year of the presidential election.
President Muhammadu Buhari ends his second term in February 2023, criticized from all sides for his inability to stem insecurity.
In recent years, the violence perpetrated by "
bandits
are on the rise: these criminal gangs killed more than 2,600 civilians in 2021, an increase of more than 250% compared to 2020, according to figures from the NGO Acled.
The "bandits" are motivated by money, not ideology, and often release their hostages after a ransom is paid.
But analysts are worried about possible rapprochements with jihadist groups in the northeast.
