23 dead in Nigeria marketplace shootingOctober 15, 2012 - 13:27 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Investigators suspect a criminal gang was behind the Sunday, Oct 14 morning killings of nearly two dozen men in a marketplace in northern Nigeria, a government official said, according to CNN. The killings took place near a mosque in the village of Dogon Dawa, in the northern state of Kaduna. The attackers left 23 dead and 17 wounded, said Musa Ilallah, a regional coordinator with Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency. "Today is a market day at the village, so many people were out shopping," Ilallah said. The victims, all of them men, had just left morning prayers at a nearby mosque, he said. The surrounding district is notorious for armed robberies, and Dogon Dawa is surrounded by a forest that criminals use as a hideout. Ilallah said he was sure the attack was aimed at villagers who participate in a community watch group, "because they expose the criminals and their hideouts to police." "I'm sure the Nigerian government will further investigate and take action to ensure this mass killing does not happen again," he said. The victims of Sunday's attack were farmers, village chief Suleiman Zuberu told CNN. Kaduna has been the scene of deadly clashes between Nigerian Christians and Muslims, including a spate of attacks on churches in June that left 50 people dead. The Islamic militant group Boko Haram, which is fighting to replace Nigeria's government with a fundamentalist Islamic state, claimed responsibility for those killings. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Power of One Dram sums up two-year program with Teach for Armenia Idram Junior also joined the companies during the visit, bringing with it a fascinating intellectual game for children Moscow slams EU mission in Armenia for “provocative activity” The EU mission is doing more and more against Armenia’s neighbors Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran, Mikhail Galuzin said. Yerevan Mayor to travel to Paris on May 15-19 The official delegation headed by Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan will travel to Paris from May 15 to 19. Armenia, India hold first defense consultations The meeting was attended by Indian Ambassador Nilakshi Saha Sinha and Defense Attaché Brigadier General Naveen Nijhawan. |