At least 30 individuals lost their lives in a series of attacks in the northern region of Nigeria, where escalating violence has gripped the area in recent months.
Africa’s most populous country is facing a 16-year insurgency, with the rise in Islamist violence further complicated by the activities of various armed groups in the vicinity.
In northeastern Adamawa state, Boko Haram militants carried out assaults in Madagali and Hong on Tuesday, resulting in the deaths of 25 people, including three soldiers. A local government official from Madagali, speaking anonymously to AFP, stated that gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram attacked a market, killing 21 individuals. The official added that efforts were ongoing to locate more casualties who might have succumbed to injuries while seeking refuge.
The attackers also looted the market, taking food items and motorcycles, while four others, including the soldiers, were killed in Hong.
In northwestern Kebbi state, an attack on a mosque in Dodin Kowa village claimed the lives of at least five worshippers late Wednesday, as reported by the government-owned News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). A security report cited by AFP indicated that ten worshippers were killed, with several others injured in the assault.
Kebbi’s police spokesman, Bashir Usman, did not initially respond to AFP’s inquiries but informed NAN that the attacks followed the demise of Lakurawa fighters in a failed ambush on a military convoy on Sunday.
Adamawa state governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri denounced the attacks in Madagali and Hong as “cowardly” and “senseless.” Kebbi state’s information commissioner stated he was out of the state and unaware of any assault.
Since 2009, the insurgency in Nigeria, primarily led by Boko Haram and its rival faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), has resulted in over 40,000 fatalities and displaced two million individuals in the northeast, according to the United Nations.
In the northwest, the Lakurawa group has been held responsible for numerous assaults on communities in parts of Kebbi and Sokoto states. The group conducts raids from their forest hideouts, seizing livestock and imposing levies on locals.
The Nigerian government confirmed that the US military conducted air strikes on Christmas Day in Sokoto, targeting Lakurawa members and criminal gangs. Some researchers have linked the group to ISWAP, which is predominantly active in neighboring Niger and Mali, although skepticism remains.
Nigeria is also contending with other armed factions exacerbating its security challenges in the northern region. Despite military operations, the conflict persists with limited success.
The unrest has spilled over into neighboring Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, leading to the establishment of a regional military alliance to combat these groups. However, the coalition’s efficacy has waned in recent years following Niger’s withdrawal due to diplomatic tensions with Nigeria post a 2023 military coup in Niger.
In a recent development, the United States commenced deploying troops to Nigeria to provide technical and training assistance to the nation’s armed forces in combating these groups. The US Africa Command announced that a total of 200 troops were set to partake in the deployment.
