Gunmen Kill 12 Forest Guards in Kwara, Nigeria

At least 12 forest guards have been killed following a violent assault by gunmen on a community in northcentral Nigeria, police confirmed on Monday.

The attack occurred on Sunday in Oke-Ode, a community in the state of Kwara, according to a statement from local police spokesperson Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi.

No group has claimed immediate responsibility for the killings.

These types of attacks are prevalent in Nigeria's northern regions, where tension between local herders and farmers often sparks conflict over limited land and water resources.

Farmers typically allege that the herders, predominantly of Fulani origin, allow their livestock to graze on their farms, causing crop destruction.

The herders, on their part, argue that these lands are historic grazing routes protected by laws dating back to 1965, shortly after Nigeria's independence.

Police officers, along with members of the National Forest Security Service, discovered the bodies of the forest guards.

"The victims sustained multiple gunshot wounds," announced Ejire-Adeyemi, who also noted that four survivors are receiving medical treatment at a hospital.

Kwara's Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, appealed for military intervention to eliminate the criminal elements responsible for such attacks within the state.

In his statement, he encouraged residents to stay calm and resist internal conflict.

He also commended the efforts of forest guards and local hunters, who despite losing five comrades, managed to neutralize several attackers.

In a related incident, June saw the deaths of at least 150 people in a similar attack on a community in Benue, another northcentral state in Nigeria.

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