At least 34 people were killed and seven villages destroyed in a violent raid by suspected jihadists in Kebbi State, security sources confirmed.
The attack, attributed to the Lakurawa militant group, occurred around 1:15 pm on Wednesday in the Bui district of Arewa, northern Kebbi.
Villages affected include Mamunu, Awasaka, Tungan Tsoho, Makangara, Kanzo, Gorun Naidal, and Dan Mai Ago, according to Kebbi State Police spokesman Bashir Usman.
“Scores of people lost their lives as residents attempted to resist the assailants,” Usman told AFP.
He added that the attackers also stole livestock during the raids.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic and gunfire.
A resident of Kanzo said, “We were in our homes when we heard gunshots. People ran for cover, but some were hit as they tried to escape.”
Another local estimated that at least 35 people had been killed in the assault.
Security forces, including police, soldiers, and local militia, were immediately deployed to the area to restore order.
The violence comes just days after Kebbi State hosted the UNESCO-listed Argungu fishing festival, located about 60 kilometres from the affected region.
The Lakurawa group has been linked to a string of attacks in Kebbi and neighbouring Sokoto State.
The militants reportedly operate from forest bases, raiding communities for livestock and imposing illegal levies on locals.
Some analysts have suggested ties between the group and the Islamic State Sahel Province, active mainly in Niger and Mali, though the connection remains disputed.
Nigeria continues to face a multifaceted security crisis, with an ongoing jihadist insurgency in the northeast, recurring farmer-herder clashes in the central region, violent separatist movements in the southeast, and widespread kidnappings in the northwest.
In response to the heightened violence, the Nigerian government has sought technical and training support from the United States for troops combating militant groups.
The US Africa Command announced that 200 personnel would join the deployment.
While US authorities, including President Donald Trump, have framed such attacks as targeted persecution of Christians, Nigerian officials and independent observers emphasise that both Muslims and Christians are victims of the country’s deepening insecurity.
