Armed men attack Nigerian village, kidnap 21

By Zahir Sofuoglu

ABUJA (AA) - Armed men abducted 21 people in a raid on a village in northwestern Nigeria’s Kaduna city, local media reported Monday.

The unknown assailants attacked the Udawa village late on Sunday, kidnapping 21 residents, including children, and leaving several injured.

Kaduna State Police spokesman Muhammad Jalige confirmed the incident and said the Nigerian authorities had sent reinforcements to the village after the attack.

He added that the authorities moved the injured to hospitals and were searching for the kidnapped villagers.

The country's northwestern region sees occasional clashes between the herder Fulani people -- one of the largest ethnic groups widely dispersed across West Africa -- and neighboring sedentary tribes.

The Fulani, who migrated to the south of the country to graze their animals, claim that farmers try to steal their animals and attack their people.

Armed groups sometimes take advantage of these conflicts and organize attacks.