Nigeria: 24 killed in separate bandit and jihadist attacks

At least 24 people were killed during two separate armed attacks in northwest and central Nigeria over the weekend. The incidents involved both local bandit gangs and jihadist groups.

In the northwest, in the Bukkuyum district of Zamfara State, gunmen ambushed a convoy of traders traveling to a local weekly market. This attack resulted in 13 deaths, including eight soldiers, one police officer, and four traders. The assailants looted goods and burned three vehicles. Local residents described the route between Gwashi and Gurusu as a “nightmare for travelers.”

In a separate incident in the Borgu district of Niger State, near the border with Benin, suspected Lakurawa jihadists killed 11 people during an incursion into the Kigbera community. Among the deceased were four local security volunteers. These attacks follow a recent increase in violence in both regions attributed to gangs specializing in cattle theft, kidnapping for ransom, and extremist activities.