Incident Summary:
12/30/2016: Assailants raided Dan Mayans community in Rafi district, Niger state, Nigeria. This was one of four coordinated attacks in two communities in Rafi over two days. An unknown number of people were abducted in the second two raids, while four people were killed and an unknown number of women were sexually assaulted across all four raids. One person escaped, while the whereabouts of the remaining hostages are unknown. No group claimed responsibility for the incidents; however, sources suspected that Boko Haram was involved.
Overview
GTD ID:
201612300024
When:
2016-12-30
Country:
Nigeria
Region:
Sub-Saharan Africa
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Niger
City:
Dan Mayan
Location Details:
The incident occurred in Rafi district.
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Armed Assault |
Type of Attack () |
Hostage Taking (Kidnapping) |
Type of Attack () |
Facility/Infrastructure Attack |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Private Citizens & Property |
Name of Entity |
Dan Mayans Community |
Specific Description |
Community |
Nationality of Target |
Nigeria |
Additional Information
Hostages |
Yes |
Number of Hostages |
Unknown |
US Hostages |
0 |
Outcome |
Unknown |
Ransom |
Yes |
Total Ransom Amount Demanded |
Unknown |
Ransom Amount Demanded from US Sources |
0.00 |
Total Ransom Amount Paid |
0.00 |
Total Ransom Amount Paid by US Sources |
0.00 |
Ransom Notes |
The assailants demanded between two and three million Nigerian Naira for the release of each hostage. |
Property Damage |
Yes |
Extent of Property Damage |
Minor (likely < $1 million) |
Value of Property Damage |
Unknown |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Firearms |
Automatic Weapon |
Firearms |
Other Gun Type |
Melee |
Knife or Other Sharp Object |
Weapon Details |
AK-47 assault rifles, locally made firearms, machetes, and daggers were used in the attack. |
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | No |
Part of Multiple Incident? | Yes |
Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
Criterion 2 () |
Yes |
Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
Doubt Terrorism Proper () |
No |
Additional Information |
Casualty numbers represent a division of the total number of those killed across incidents 201612290040, 201612290041, 201612300024, and 201612300025. |
Who
Perpetrator Group Information
Group Name |
Claimed Responsibility |
Boko Haram (suspected) |
No |
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
Unknown |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
0 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
1 Fatalities |
Total Number of Fatalities |
1 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
0 |
Total Number of Injured |
Unknown |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
"Marauders invade Niger communities, kill, rape, rustle 250 cattle," Daily Sun, January 2, 2017. |
"Suspected Boko Haram bandits kill 4, kidnap 30, stole 250 cattles in Niger state," Naij.com, January 2, 2017. |
Criteria
Criteria 1
The act must be aimed at attaining a political, economic, religious, or social goal. In terms of economic goals, the exclusive pursuit of profit does not satisfy this criterion. It must involve the pursuit of more profound, systemic economic change.
Criterion 2
There must be evidence of an intention to coerce, intimidate, or convey some other message to a larger audience (or audiences) than the immediate victims. It is the act taken as a totality that is considered, irrespective if every individual involved in carrying out the act was aware of this intention. As long as any of the planners or decision-makers behind the attack intended to coerce, intimidate or publicize, the intentionality criterion is met.
Criterion 3
The action must be outside the context of legitimate warfare activities. That is, the act must be outside the parameters permitted by international humanitarian law (particularly the prohibition against deliberately targeting civilians or non-combatants.
Doubt Terrorism Proper
The existence of a "Yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper?" records reservation, in the eyes of GTD analysts, that the incident in question is truly terrorism. Such uncertainty, however, was not deemed to be sufficient to disqualify the incident from inclusion into the GTD. Furthermore, such a determination of doubt is subsequently coded by GTD analysts as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Alternate Designation
The determination of "yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper" by GTD analysts is coded as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Successful Attack
Success of a terrorist strike is defined according to the tangible effects of the attack. For example, in a typical successful bombing, the bomb detonates and destroys property and/or kills individuals, whereas an unsuccessful bombing is one in which the bomb is discovered and defused or detonates early and kills the perpetrators. Success is not judged in terms of the larger goals of the perpetrators. For example, a bomb that exploded in a building would be counted as a success even if it did not, for example, succeed in bringing the building down or inducing government repression.
Type of Attack
This field captures the general method of attack and often reflects the broad class of tactics used. It consists of the following nine categories:
- Assassination
- Armed Assault
- Unarmed Assault
- Bombing/Explosion
- Hijacking
- Hostage taking (Barricade Incident)
- Hostage taking (Kidnapping)
- Facility / Infrastructure Attack
- Unknown
Target Information
This field captures the general type of target. It consists of the following 22 categories:
- Abortion Related
- Airports & Airlines
- Business
- Government (General)
- Government (Diplomatic)
- Educational Institution
- Food or Water Supply
- Journalists & Media
- Maritime (includes Ports and Maritime facilities)
- Military
- NGO
- Other
- Police
- Private Citizens & Property
- Religious Figures/Institutions
- Telecommunication
- Terrorists
- Tourists
- Transportation (other than aviation)
- Unknown
- Utilities
- Violent Political Parties