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At least 34 fasting Muslims have been killed following coordinated attacks on rural communities in Kebbi State, according to police and local residents.
Jihadist fighters, identified as members of the Lakurawa group, launched raids on seven villages in the Bui district of the Arewa North area at about 1:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Kebbi State Police Command confirmed on Thursday.
The police spokesperson, Bashir Usman, said the attackers struck Mamunu, Awasaka, Tungan Tsoho, Makangara, Kanzo, Gorun Naidal, and Dan Mai Ago as residents attempted to repel them.
“Scores of people were killed as residents from Mamunu, Awasaka, Tungan Tsoho, Makangara, Kanzo, Gorun Naidal, and Dan Mai Ago mobilised to resist the attackers,” Usman said.
A security report described the scale of the violence as severe, stating that the jihadists had killed “more than 30 villagers.” A resident of one of the affected communities put the death toll even higher, saying at least 35 people were killed during the assault.
Recounting the chaos, a resident of Kanzo village said: “We were in our homes, we heard gunshots.”
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“People outside began to run into their shelters, gunshots hit some people,” the resident added.
Usman said the assailants also looted cattle during the raids before fleeing. He added that a joint response team comprising police officers, soldiers, and local militia was immediately deployed to the area to restore calm and pursue the attackers.
The latest violence came only days after Kebbi State hosted the Argungu Fishing Festival, a UNESCO-listed cultural event held about 60 kilometres from the Arewa axis where the attacks occurred.
The Lakurawa group has been blamed for a string of violent raids across northern Kebbi and neighbouring Sokoto State, where communities have suffered repeated attacks, cattle rustling, and forced levies. The group is believed to operate from forest hideouts, from where its fighters impose so-called “taxes” on local populations.
Some security researchers have linked the Lakurawa group to the Islamic State Sahel Province, which is active mainly in parts of Niger and Mali, although other analysts remain cautious about drawing a definitive connection.
The attacks have further compounded Nigeria’s deepening security crisis. The country continues to battle a more than 16-year jihadist insurgency in the northeast, alongside persistent farmer-herder violence in the north-central region.
Against this backdrop, Nigeria is seeking renewed technical and training support from the United States to strengthen its counterterrorism operations. Following a resurgence of violence that strained bilateral relations, the US Africa Command said about 200 troops were expected to be involved in the overall deployment aimed at supporting Nigerian forces.
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