Terrorists have attacked several Northern states, killing numerous people and kidnapping numerous others within the last 72 hours.
The killings took place in a mosque in the Maiyama Rural Government Area of Kebbi State and a rural village in the Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
There were alleged abductions in Sokoto and Kwara states in a renewed offensive on villages in the North.
Local sources said that many were murdered in Tuesday night’s raid on the Madagali Local Government Area, the hometown of Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri.
Although the authorities had not yet released an official tally, local sources said that at least 24 people had died.
In the last five months, Madagali has been the target of four attacks.
On October 1, 2025, November 19, 2025, December 8, 2025, and most recently, February 24, 2026, the town was invaded.
In a telephone chat on Thursday, Mr. Mohammed Yusuf of Kirchinga, the governor’s village, informed our correspondent that suspected Boko Haram rebels killed multiple civilians when they attacked the hamlet around midnight on Tuesday.
SP Suleiman Nguroje, the spokesperson for the Adamawa State Police Command, stated that officials were still gathering casualty statistics when reached.
“I am still making contact to get the correct figure of the casualties; just give me a little time,” he said.
Five worshippers were killed and several others were injured on Wednesday night when terrorists in Kebbi State assaulted a mosque in the Dadinkowa village, Maiyama Local Government Area.
According to locals, the attackers broke into the mosque during prayers and started shooting at the worshippers, causing the community to panic.
Local accounts claim that after arriving with heavy weapons, the assailants proceeded directly to the mosque and opened fire on attendees without distinction.
According to reports, five people died instantly, while numerous more were injured to differing degrees.
For treatment, the wounded victims were taken to adjacent hospitals.
Five worshippers were killed, according to confirmation from the Kebbi State Police Command.
The event happened at around 8:30 p.m. during a midnight Qur’anic Tafsir session that coincided with Taraweeh prayers, according to a statement released on Thursday by the state PPRO, Bashir Usman.
He said that five people were killed and three others were injured when the assailants broke inside the mosque and started shooting at the congregation.
“The attack was a reprisal by suspected terrorists. Five worshippers lost their lives, while three others sustained injuries and are currently receiving treatment at a medical facility,” the statement read.
According to Usman, police officers had been sent in to restore order and start investigations in coordination with other security organizations.
He asked the public to maintain their composure and provide helpful information while assuring the locals that attempts were being made to find the culprits.
New kidnappings also occurred in the states of Sokoto and Kwara.
On Tuesday night, many people of Sokoto State’s Rabah Local Government Area were abducted by suspected bandits.
According to local sources, the attackers broke into the town while it was dark, firing intermittently to frighten the locals before making their way from house to house.
Families were spotted looking for missing family members as fear swept across the neighborhood; however, the precise number of victims was yet unknown.
The most recent raid occurred just one week after 16 individuals were kidnapped in a similar attack that took place in the same location.
In one attack, the terrorists allegedly demanded N20 million and three motorcycles, which people described as “devastating and brutal.”
Rabah and other sections of Sokoto have seen recurring episodes of banditry, kidnapping, and extortion in recent months, exacerbating the humanitarian situation in vulnerable rural settlements.
Residents reported that the ongoing attacks have hampered farming activities and daily life, prompting many to sleep in terror or leave to safer areas.
Efforts to gain an official answer were futile because the spokesman for the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmed Rufa’i, could not be reached at the time of publishing this story.
Similarly, four members of the same family were kidnapped on their farms in the Babanla community of Ifelodun Local Government Area in Kwara State in the early hours of Wednesday by suspected terrorists.
It was gathered that the family had left home around 5 a.m. to begin the day’s work when armed men invaded the farm settlement on the outskirts of the town.
The attackers were said to have fired guns into the air, causing other farmers to escape.
According to a neighborhood source, five family members were initially rounded up.
“They came suddenly and started shooting into the air. Everyone ran in different directions,” the source said.
“They first held five of them but later released an elderly man. The remaining four were taken away to an unknown destination,” he added.
A female resident, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed the incident and described the atmosphere as tense.
“It is true that they abducted four family members. They were kidnapped on their farmland this morning,” she said.
“The elderly man was freed later, but the four others were taken away by the bandits.”
Femi Yusuf, the chairman of the Ifelodun Local Government Area, also confirmed the incident.
“How and why should any sane person go to a farm at 5 a.m.?” he queried.
“We all know the situation on the ground; no one needs to be told when it is safe to go about,” he added.
At the time of filing this report, the identities of the victims had not been officially released, while the state police command had yet to issue a statement.
Concerned about the constant attacks, Kwara North youths stormed the Government House in Ilorin on Wednesday to protest.
They requested a quick end to killings and terrorist attacks in Edu, Patigi, and Kaiama LGAs on behalf of the Coalition of Kwara North Youth.
Addressing journalists, coordinator Usman Haruna stated, “Our communities are bleeding, and silence in the face of repeated tragedy would amount to complicity.”
He said that recent attacks on the Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama LGA resulted in between 162 and 200 deaths in two days.
“These were not mere numbers; they were men, women, and children whose absence has created permanent voids,” he said.
Meanwhile, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, the Chief of Army Staff, has urged for the growth of the Nigerian Army Aviation Wing, calling it a crucial force multiplier in dealing with emerging security issues.
He stated that consistent finance and policy support were critical to optimizing operational impact.
Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang has also promised justice to victims of recent attacks in the Dorowa Babuje and Jong towns of the Barkin Ladi Local Government Area.
He promised people, through his deputy, Ngo Piyo, that criminals would face the full force of the law.
On Tuesday, nine victims of a terror assault in Dorowa Babuje were laid to rest in a mass burial attended by mourning families and community officials.
