Bandits Kill Scores, Abduct Many in Fresh Attacks Across Northern Nigeria

Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu

Bandits Kill Scores, Abduct Many in Fresh Attacks Across Northern Nigeria

A fresh wave of coordinated violence has rocked northern Nigeria, with gunmen killing scores of people and abducting dozens across Adamawa, Kebbi, Sokoto, Kwara and Plateau states within 72 hours.

The renewed attacks — linked to suspected Boko Haram insurgents and armed bandit groups — have intensified concerns over worsening insecurity in Northern Nigeria, as communities grapple with repeated raids, mass killings and kidnappings for ransom.

In Adamawa State, the hometown of Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, Madagali Local Government Area, came under attack again late Tuesday night. Local sources said suspected Boko Haram insurgents stormed Kirchinga village around midnight, shooting residents and burning homes. Casualty figures from residents put the death toll at no fewer than 24, though the Nigeria Police Force said it was still compiling official numbers. This marks the fourth attack on Madagali in five months, following earlier raids on October 1, November 19, December 8, 2025, and February 24, 2026 — raising fears of renewed insurgent activity in the northeastern corridor. Police spokesperson SP Suleiman Nguroje said authorities were verifying casualty figures and assessing the full scale of destruction.

In Kebbi State, gunmen attacked a mosque in Dadinkowa community, Maiyama Local Government Area, during a nighttime Qur’anic Tafsir session coinciding with Taraweeh prayers. The Kebbi State Police Command confirmed that five worshippers were killed and three others injured when the attackers opened fire around 8:30 p.m. Police spokesperson Bashir Usman described the incident as a reprisal attack by suspected terrorists, adding that security operatives have been deployed to restore calm and begin investigations.

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In Rabah Local Government Area of Sokoto State, suspected bandits abducted several residents during a late-night raid. Witnesses said the attackers fired sporadically before moving house-to-house. The number of abductees remains unclear. The raid occurred barely a week after 16 residents were kidnapped in the same area, with gunmen reportedly demanding N20 million and three motorcycles as ransom. Recurring bandit attacks in Sokoto have severely disrupted farming activities and daily life, forcing many families to flee.

In Babanla community, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, suspected bandits kidnapped four members of the same family from their farmland around 5 a.m. Wednesday. Community sources said five relatives were initially rounded up, but an elderly man was later released while four others were taken to an unknown location. The abduction sparked protests in Ilorin, where youths under the Coalition of Kwara North Youths demanded urgent government intervention to curb escalating violence in Edu, Patigi and Kaiama LGAs.

Meanwhile, in Plateau State, nine victims of a terror attack in Dorowa Babuje community, Barkin Ladi LGA, were laid to rest in a mass burial attended by grieving residents. Governor Caleb Mutfwang, represented by his deputy Ngo Piyo, vowed that perpetrators would face justice.

Security analysts warn that banditry and insurgency in Northern Nigeria are stretching security forces thin. Contributing factors include the proliferation of small arms, vast forest terrain used as hideouts, weak rural policing structures, and economic hardship. The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has called for expanded funding for the Nigerian Army Aviation wing to strengthen counter-insurgency and anti-bandit operations.

The latest attacks have left dozens dead, displaced families, forced farmers to abandon fields and deepened fear across rural communities. Residents across affected states are calling for decisive, intelligence-driven military operations and stronger federal-state coordination to halt the spiral of violence.