At least 30 individuals lost their lives in a series of attacks in northern Nigeria, where the region has been plagued by increasing violence in recent months. The most populous nation in Africa is currently facing a 16-year insurgency, with the rise in Islamist extremism further complicated by the presence of other armed factions in the area.
Boko Haram militants carried out assaults in Madagali and Hong, located in the northeastern Adamawa state bordering Cameroon, resulting in the deaths of 25 individuals, including three soldiers. During the Tuesday evening attack, gunmen suspected to be affiliated with Boko Haram stormed the market, opening fire and killing 21 people, as reported by a local government official from Madagali. The attackers also looted the market, taking food supplies and motorcycles. Additionally, four individuals, including the soldiers, were killed in Hong.
In the northwestern Kebbi state, an attack on a mosque in Dodin Kowa village resulted in the deaths of at least five worshippers late on Wednesday, according to the state-owned News Agency of Nigeria. A security report revealed that ten worshippers had been killed in the incident, with several others sustaining injuries.
The police spokesperson in Kebbi, Bashir Usman, mentioned that the attacks followed the death of Lakurawa fighters in a thwarted ambush on a military convoy on Sunday.
Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa state condemned the attacks in Madagali and Hong as “cowardly” and “senseless,” while the information commissioner of Kebbi state stated that he was unaware of any assault as he was out of the state.
The insurgency in Nigeria, which has been ongoing since 2009 and is primarily led by Boko Haram and its rival faction, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), has resulted in over 40,000 fatalities and the displacement of two million individuals in the northeast, according to the United Nations. The Lakurawa group in the northwest has been linked to numerous attacks on communities in parts of Kebbi and Sokoto states, engaging in activities such as livestock theft and extorting locals.
The Nigerian government reported that recent US military airstrikes on Christmas Day in Sokoto targeted members of the Lakurawa group and other criminal gangs. While some researchers have connected the group to ISWAP, which operates primarily in Niger and Mali, there are doubts among others.
Nigeria is facing challenges from various armed factions in the north, despite limited success from military operations. The conflict has spilled over into neighboring countries like Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, leading to the establishment of a regional military coalition to combat these groups. However, the coalition’s effectiveness has waned in recent years following Niger’s withdrawal due to a diplomatic dispute with Nigeria after a military coup in Niger in 2023.
Recently, the United States initiated the deployment of troops to Nigeria to offer technical and training assistance to the country’s military in combating these insurgent groups. The US Africa Command plans to send a total of 200 troops to support the deployment.
