Kebbi, Nigeria – Dozens of villagers have been killed and seven communities destroyed in a series of attacks by jihadist fighters in Kebbi State, Nigerian police told AFP on Thursday.
The raids, attributed to the Lakurawa group, struck villages in the Bui district of Arewa northern region around 1:15 pm (1215 GMT) on Wednesday. Police spokesman Bashir Usman said more than 30 people were killed as residents of Mamunu, Awasaka, Tungan Tsoho, Makangara, Kanzo, Gorun Naidal, and Dan Mai Ago attempted to resist the attackers.
A local resident reported that at least 35 people died, describing the chaos: “We were in our homes, we heard gunshots. People outside began to run into their shelters; gunshots hit some people.”
Police confirmed that the attackers also raided livestock, seizing cattle from the affected villages. Security forces, including police, soldiers, and local militia, were deployed immediately to contain the situation.
The Lakurawa group, blamed for repeated attacks in northern Kebbi and neighbouring Sokoto State, operates from forest bases, conducting raids, rustling livestock, and levying informal “taxes” on local communities. Some researchers have linked the group to the Islamic State Sahel Province, active mainly in Niger and Mali, though this remains contested.
The attacks come shortly after the UNESCO-listed Argungu Fishing Festival, held about 60 kilometres from the affected region, highlighting ongoing security challenges in the state.
Nigeria continues to face a complex security landscape, including a 16-year jihadist insurgency in the northeast, farmer-herder conflicts in the north central region, violent secessionist movements in the southeast, and widespread kidnappings in the northwest.
In response to the escalating violence, Nigeria has sought technical and training support from the United States, with the US Africa Command planning a deployment of 200 troops. US President Donald Trump framed the violence as a “persecution of Christians,” a claim disputed by Nigerian authorities and independent analysts, who say both Christians and Muslims are victims of the country’s multiple security crises.
