Unknown Gunmen attacked Gebbe Community in Shanga Local Government, Kebbi State on Monday, 29th, December, 2025. The attack left several residents feared killed or injured and triggered a mass flight of civilians into nearby bushes and neighbouring villages in search of safety.
According to local sources, the attackers stormed the community without any warning, opening fire sporadically and creating widespread panic among the thousands who live in the rural settlement. Eyewitnesses described the onslaught as sudden and overwhelmingly forceful, forcing many families to abandon their homes and belongings amidst the barrage of bullets.
“The community is traumatised. We have not experienced this level of violence in a long time,” one resident lamented, speaking on condition of anonymity as residents continued to scatter.
At the time of filing this report, official casualty figures were not available. Local leaders said it has been difficult to accurately count the dead or injured because many survivors fled in different directions and have yet to return. Some victims are believed to be hiding in forests surrounding Gebbe, while others sought refuge with relatives in neighbouring settlements.
“The attackers came like shadows,” another eyewitness said. “People were shouting, running, some dropped everything and just ran toward the bushes.”
Confirming the incident to The PUNCH, Kebbi State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bashir Usman, acknowledged that a serious attack had taken place in Gebbe, with security operatives already deployed to restore order.
“We have been informed of the attack,” SP Usman said. “The command has deployed a tactical team to the area to get the real information of what happened and the number of victims.”
He added that the police were actively assessing the situation on the ground and gathering details on casualties and any property damage. A full official statement was expected once the preliminary assessment was complete.
Therefore, among survivors, many of whom are calling on the Kebbi State Government and security agencies to step up protection for vulnerable rural communities.
“We are pleading with the state government to urgently send more security personnel here,” one community member said. “We cannot continue to live in fear like this.”
Calls to the Gebbe community leader were not successful, as attempts to reach him for comment went unanswered at the time of publication.
The attack in Gebbe comes amid a broader uptick in violent assaults by armed groups, often referred to locally as “bandits,” across northwest Nigeria. These groups have been responsible for raids on villages, abductions, killings, and property destruction in Kebbi and neighbouring states over recent years, contributing to a deepening humanitarian and security crisis in the region.
Security authorities have been under pressure to contain the spread of such violence, but many rural communities remain exposed, with residents expressing growing fear and uncertainty about the future.
