Deaths 32–35 Date 13 December 2014 Location Nigeria | Suspect(s) Boko Haram Location Borno State, Nigeria | |
Missing 172–185 women and children kidnapped Similar 2014 Gombe bus station bo, Gwoza massacre, Kogi prison break, 2011 Abuja United Nations b, 2014 Jos bombings | ||
On 13 December 2014, 172–185 villagers in the village of Gumsuri were kidnapped, suspected to be by Boko Haram militants. 32–35 people were killed.
Contents
Kidnapping and killing
Gunmen arrived at the village in pickup trucks at night. As they got there, they stormed the village from two different directions. They first began shooting men. Just before the shooting, the attackers yelled the words "Allahu akbar", which translates to "God is great". Soon after, they began heading for women and children. The gunmen burned down half the village with petrol bombs. The gunmen took women and children residing in the village away in their trucks.
Aftermath
Despite the kidnapping and killings happening on 13 December, the news did not break out until 17 December because the gunmen destroyed communication towers in the area. News of this event emerged when survivors from the village arrived in the city of Maiduguri, where they were able to communicate to others the news of what had happened.
Reaction
The United States commented on the kidnapping, stating, “We abhor such violence, which continues to take a terrible toll on the people of Nigeria, and we extend our condolences to the victims and their families."