Nigeria: dozens of people massacred in the attack on a market in the North West

Police forces deployed in the region to prevent further attacks (illustration).

AFP

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

The attack took place this Sunday, October 17, just before the visit of the head of the army in the region, this Monday, October 18.

At the end of the afternoon, the Goronyo market, located in Sokoto state, was invaded by nearly a hundred armed men who massacred at least 30 people, according to the authorities. 

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With our correspondent in Lagos,

This is the second market attack in less than two weeks in this increasingly violent region.

It was around 5 p.m. when the armed men - around 100, according to some sources - broke into Goronyo market and started shooting at the crowd.

The spokesperson for the governor of Sokoto spoke on Monday morning of

 ".

But the Nigerian site HumanAngle already evokes more than sixty victims, according to a provisional report.

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Cut communications

Goronyo is one of 14 districts in which all communications have been cut in recent weeks to facilitate operations by Nigerian security forces against local bandits.

But this measure would have, this time, prevented the security agents present on the spot from sounding the alert, leaving the inhabitants at the mercy of their attackers who continued their attack for several hours.

Ten days ago, at least 19 people were killed in an attack on a market in Sabon Birni district, still in Sokoto state.

According to local observers, several gang leaders have established their base in the region after fleeing Zamfara state where the Nigerian army launched a large operation in early September.

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