At least 23 people from the waste collector community were executed on Tuesday (7) by suspected jihadists in northeast Nigeria, local militias said on Thursday.

The militants, allegedly affiliated with the Islamic State of West Africa (ISWAP), kidnapped the victims with a scavenger group of about 50, which was on its way to the town of Magdala, about 20 kilometers from the Chad border.

“23 bodies have been found so far, all of them slaughtered by terrorists,” Babakura Kolo, leader of a local self-defense militia, told AFP.

“Three people managed to return to Dikwa, but the whereabouts of the other 20 collectors is unknown,” he said.

These scrap dealers, who travel a lot to recover used metals, are accused by jihadists of informing authorities about their members’ movements in the region.

In April, about 30 people were killed by suspected ISWAP militants in the city of Mudu.

According to the Nigerian Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Nigerian Army has recently stepped up ground and air operations against ISWAP and Boko Haram militants and has managed to eliminate several of its commanders.