Chief Imam, 27 Others Killed as Lakurawa Terrorists Attack Sokoto Community During Friday Prayers

At least 28 people, including the Chief Imam of Ungushi Izala Jumu’at Mosque, Imam Aliyu, were killed when suspected Lakurawa terrorists attacked Ungushi community in Kebbe Local Government Area of Sokoto State on Friday evening during Jumu’ah prayers.

At least 28 people, including the Chief Imam of Ungushi Izala Jumu’at Mosque, Imam Aliyu, were killed when suspected Lakurawa terrorists attacked Ungushi community in Kebbe Local Government Area of Sokoto State on Friday evening during Jumu’ah prayers. The attack has triggered widespread displacement and heightened security concerns across Kebbe, with hundreds of residents fleeing their homes and over 300 cattle reportedly rustled from affected communities. The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 8 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Bemgba Koughna, has visited the area to assess the security situation, while former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on the Federal Government to move beyond condolences and take decisive action.

According to residents and local sources, the assailants, armed with sophisticated weapons and believed to be members of the Lakurawa terrorist group, stormed Ungushi while worshippers were observing Friday prayers at about 2:15 pm. The Lakurawa group is suspected by researchers to be affiliated with the Islamic State in the Sahel (ISSP), a jihadist militia active primarily in Mali and Niger. A community leader who witnessed the attack described the horrific events to Daily Trust: “They parked their motorcycles in front of the mosque before dispersing worshippers and moving into the town, where they killed five people. After they left, we went to prepare for the burial of the victims. But they returned and killed two more people. Then they started coming from different directions, shooting continuously and surrounding the town.” Residents said the attackers remained in the community until about 1 am on Saturday before leaving, only to return in the morning and continue killing and slaughtering some residents. They were eventually forced to leave after security personnel arrived in the area. A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, described the victims as innocent civilians: “These are ordinary people. They are farmers, traders, religious leaders and family members. They have done nothing to deserve this.” The killing of Imam Aliyu, a respected religious leader in the community, has particularly shocked residents and generated widespread concern.

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Confirming the incident, Sokoto State Police Command spokesman DSP Ahmed Rufai said it was difficult to ascertain the actual number of victims. He, however, confirmed that no fewer than 28 corpses were recovered following the attack. However, differing casualty figures have emerged from various sources. Reports from the community suggest that residents recovered and buried 32 bodies from the attack. Residents also reportedly killed 13 of the assailants during the confrontation, although the attackers later retrieved the bodies of their colleagues. The attack in Ungushi followed a separate incident on Friday in which an unspecified number of soldiers were reportedly killed in Kebbe town, an event that may have triggered the subsequent violence in surrounding communities.

The aftermath of the attack has forced hundreds of residents to flee their homes, with women, children and elderly persons among those displaced. The displaced persons reportedly began arriving in Kebbe town from about 8 pm on Saturday, with many spending the night in the rain after abandoning their homes with little or no belongings. “People started arriving in Kebbe around 8 pm yesterday. Women, children and elderly people are among them. Some of them spent the night in the rain because there was nowhere for them to stay. More people are still coming this morning,” a resident told Punch. Local sources also reported that suspected bandits rustled more than 300 cattle and seven camels from Ungushi and neighbouring Gwandi communities during the attacks. The attackers also reportedly invaded Umbutu, Maikurhuna, Gwandi, Girkau and Zugu communities, where they stole large numbers of livestock and other valuables. “People are no longer sleeping peacefully. Families are leaving their homes because they fear another attack. We need urgent intervention before more communities are deserted,” a source told Punch.

Amid the renewed threats, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 8 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Bemgba Koughna, visited the Forward Operating Base in Kebbe on Sunday to assess the security situation and reassure residents of the readiness of troops to confront the threats. The visit was prompted by intelligence reports that terrorists involved in Friday’s attack were still close to the area. Koughna engaged community leaders and residents, listened to their concerns, and reviewed the security situation in the area. “Troops remain fully deployed, highly alert and operationally focused on protecting lives and property,” the GOC said. He added that the Nigerian Army had adjusted its security architecture to prevent further infiltration by terrorists and protect vulnerable communities along the Sokoto-Kebbi border corridor. “The Nigerian Army remains unwavering in its determination to respond swiftly and decisively to any emerging threats,” Koughna said. “We will continue to maintain a robust presence in this area and ensure that our troops remain ready to respond to any threat to the peace and security of the people.” The GOC urged residents not to panic and appealed for stronger collaboration between the military and communities, particularly through timely sharing of credible intelligence. “Community support remains a critical component in detecting, disrupting and dismantling terrorist networks before they can launch attacks,” he said. He also urged community leaders and residents to report suspicious movements, unfamiliar persons and other activities that could pose security threats. The GOC reiterated the commitment of troops to protecting lives, property and critical infrastructure in Kebbe and other vulnerable communities within the operational area. “We will not allow criminal elements to intimidate our people or disrupt their livelihoods. Our troops are prepared and will continue to operate with determination and professionalism,” he said. The visit was disclosed in a statement issued by the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 8 Division, Nigerian Army and Sector 2, Operation Fansan Yamma, Lt Col Olaniyi Osoba.

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Former Vice-President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has urged the Federal Government to move beyond condolence messages and take decisive action to prevent further killings. In a statement on his verified X account, Atiku described the victims as innocent Nigerians whose deaths had further highlighted the worsening insecurity across the country. “I am devastated by the killing of 32 innocent Nigerians in Ungushi community, Kebbe LGA of Sokoto State,” he said. He expressed sympathy with the bereaved families and residents of Sokoto State, praying for the repose of the deceased and strength for their loved ones. However, the former Vice President said condolences from government officials were no longer sufficient in the face of recurring attacks and killings across the country. “But condolences are no longer enough. How many more Nigerians must be slaughtered before this government treats the protection of human life as an emergency?” he asked. Atiku said the frequency of such attacks was alarming, warning that the government must not become comfortable with issuing statements after every massacre without taking effective measures to protect citizens. “These killings have become frighteningly recurrent, and a government that cannot protect its citizens must not become comfortable issuing statements after every massacre,” he said. He called on the Federal Government to strengthen intelligence gathering, secure vulnerable communities and ensure that those responsible for the killings were arrested and prosecuted. “The Federal Government must move from condolences to action: strengthen intelligence, secure vulnerable communities and bring the perpetrators to justice,” Atiku said. He stressed that the primary responsibility of government was to protect the lives and property of citizens, adding that Nigerians should not continue to bury their loved ones while those entrusted with their security offered excuses. “The first duty of government is to protect life. Nigerians cannot continue to bury their loved ones while those entrusted with their security offer excuses,” he said. Atiku concluded by praying for peace in Sokoto State and across the country, urging the government to take urgent measures to prevent further loss of lives: “May Allah comfort Sokoto and restore peace to our nation.”

Residents have called for sustained military presence and intelligence-led operations to prevent further attacks and restore confidence in the affected communities. A community leader said continued attacks were disrupting social and economic activities in the area. “People cannot farm, children are afraid to go to school, and families are abandoning their homes. If nothing is done urgently, we may witness the complete displacement of these communities,” he said. The Army’s operational assessment formed part of ongoing efforts to strengthen security around Kebbe and other vulnerable communities following recent incidents in the area. Security forces have been conducting operations against Lakurawa and other armed groups across Sokoto, Kebbi and other parts of the North-west under Operation FANSAN YAMMA.

Chief Imam, 27 Others Killed as Lakurawa Terrorists Attack Sokoto Community During Friday Prayers

Over 50 Killed, Scores Injured as Gunmen Attack Mangu Communities in Plateau

More than 50 people have been confirmed dead and several others injured following coordinated attacks on two communities in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, with gunmen moving from house to house and slaughtering residents while they slept .

More than 50 people have been confirmed dead and several others injured following coordinated attacks on two communities in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, with gunmen moving from house to house and slaughtering residents while they slept. The attacks, which occurred on Sunday, August 16, and Monday, August 17, 2026, have heightened concerns over the escalating cycle of violence in Plateau State, where farmer-herder conflicts and communal reprisals have claimed hundreds of lives in recent years.

The latest assault targeted Binper community in Mangu Local Government Area, occurring between midnight on Monday and the early hours of Tuesday, August 18, 2026. According to eyewitness Daniel Musa, the attackers were heavily armed and moved systematically from house to house, forcing their way into homes where residents were sleeping. Musa told Vanguard: “Our village came under attack last night and in the early hours of today, Tuesday, by heavily armed persons. They were moving from house to house, opening the doors of people who were sleeping and slaughtering them. As of this morning, we have confirmed over 20 deaths, while several others sustained serious injuries and some people are still missing” . Another resident, John Dalyop, condemned the attack as barbaric and expressed frustration over the continued violence, stating: “We expected the new Commissioner of Police in the state to act quickly and go after those responsible” . He urged the state and federal governments to urgently strengthen security around vulnerable communities in Mangu and other parts of Plateau State. Victims who sustained injuries have been taken to nearby hospitals for treatment, while community leaders and residents are making efforts to account for those still missing. Security operatives were reportedly deployed to the community on Tuesday morning to restore calm and prevent further attacks, though efforts to obtain reactions from security operatives were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.

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The Binper attack came just two days after a separate, deadlier assault on the nearby Jwak Maitumbi community on Sunday, August 16, where over 30 people were feared killed and more than 50 houses, shops, churches, and food barns were set ablaze. A resident and youth leader of the village, Lonji Zuhumnan, told New Telegraph that the rampaging gunmen, numbering over 100 and armed with sophisticated weapons, stormed the community at about 7:30 am on Sunday, shooting indiscriminately for several hours. Zuhumnan said: “Our community, Jwak Maitumbi, came under severe attack yesterday morning. The Fulani terrorists numbering over 100 and carrying sophisticated weapons stormed the village at about 7:30 am as people were either in churches or preparing to go to their worship centres” . He further lamented that distress calls to security operatives for help were not responded to until the gunmen had finished their mission and fled into the bushes and rocks, stating: “At the end of the carnage, we counted over 30 dead bodies while several others were injured. Apart from the people they slaughtered, the terrorists also burned down over 50 houses, shops, health centres, churches and food barns” .

A counter-insurgency publication, Zagazola Makama, confirmed the Jwak Maitumbi incident, citing an anonymous military source that troops were deployed to the community after the attack was reported at about 7:45 am. The military source said troops discovered about 45 houses destroyed and valuables belonging to residents looted during the assault. The attackers also reportedly entered farms belonging to Fulani residents and used cutlasses to destroy large quantities of crops. Following the incident, troops summoned the Galadima and youth leader of Jwak Maitumbi community, directing the community leadership to assist security agencies in identifying and producing those responsible for the attack. Makama noted that the conflict in parts of Plateau has frequently been characterised by tit-for-tat attacks, in which an attack on one community is followed by retaliation against another community, often resulting in further deaths, destruction of property, and displacement. The destruction of shelters and crops could become a trigger for revenge if affected residents believe that perpetrators have not been identified or brought to justice. “The danger is that the latest incident could similarly be interpreted through the lens of previous attacks rather than as an isolated criminal act,” Makama stated, noting that failure to establish accountability could deepen perceptions of impunity and increase the temptation for affected communities to seek their own form of justice.

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Plateau State has experienced repeated outbreaks of violence linked to farmer-herder conflicts, communal tensions, and reprisal attacks that have left hundreds dead in recent years, with weak policing and impunity for killings often sparking indiscriminate reprisals along communal lines in the religiously mixed state. Between April and July 2026 alone, no fewer than 200 people were reportedly killed in violence around the Barkin Ladi axis before the deployment of Department of State Services operatives to the area. The attacks have persisted despite federal assurances, with President Bola Tinubu visiting Plateau State on April 3, 2026, and promising that recurring killings would not happen again—only for fresh attacks to continue in the weeks that followed. Security analysts from SBM Intelligence have identified Mangu Local Government Area as a significant flashpoint following renewed clashes between the Mwaghavul community and Fulani residents at Jwak Maitumbi, warning that “the likelihood of further reprisals remains moderately high given that the causative factors remain unresolved, and the recent violence has only added fresh grievances on both sides” .

Residents of the affected communities have called on the state and federal governments to urgently strengthen security around vulnerable communities in Mangu and other parts of Plateau State, while the Berom Youth Moulders Association has previously condemned the continued killings, attacks, destruction of farmlands, and sexual harassment of women across communities in Riyom and Barkin Ladi Local Councils. Meanwhile, the Plateau State chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has alleged killings of Fulani herders by suspected gunmen, calling on security agencies to intensify efforts to apprehend perpetrators. In a recent statement, MACBAN condemned the killing of three herders in separate attacks around Kpanchuku in Jebbu Bassa and Gana Ropp communities, describing the acts as “barbaric, inhumane, unprovoked and unacceptable” . MACBAN’s State Secretary, Muhammad Salihu Isa, stated: “In the last one week, we have lost many herders and cattle to gunmen. We cannot move freely to tend to our cattle” . The association urged all members and the general public to remain calm and law-abiding, and not to take the law into their own hands, while appealing to security agencies to intensify efforts to apprehend the perpetrators.

The attacks on Binper and Jwak Maitumbi communities represent a significant escalation of violence in Plateau State, with over 50 people killed in two days and hundreds displaced, while the destruction of homes, churches, and food barns has deepened the humanitarian crisis in the region and fears of reprisal attacks continue to heighten tensions. Efforts to obtain reactions from security operatives regarding the Binper attack were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report, but troops have maintained a presence in the general area while engaging community and traditional leaders in efforts to de-escalate tensions, prevent retaliatory violence, and restore calm.

Over 50 Killed, Scores Injured as Gunmen Attack Mangu Communities in Plateau