Gunmen kill 15 people, abduct 5 aid workers in north Nigeria

By CHINEDU ASADU and HARUNA UMAR
Associated Press

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Authorities in Nigeria say at least 15 people were killed and five aid workers were abducted by gunmen in separate attacks in the West African nation’s troubled northern region. Senior government official David Olofu said the gunmen in northcentral Benue state opened fire on residents Thursday in a village in Apa. Meanwhile in the northeastern part of the country, five aid workers were abducted by Islamic extremists who have waged an insurgency against the government for more than a decade. The aid workers were with the international non-governmental organization FHI 360. Iorwakwagh Apera, the organization’s country director in Nigeria, said they were working to provide lifesaving medical care and must be released unconditionally.