Gunmen struck across states in the Northern region within the past 72 hours, killing scores and abducting many others.
The killings took place in a mosque in the Maiyama Local Government Area of Kebbi State and a local community in the Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
There were reported abductions in Sokoto and Kwara states, in a renewed attack on communities in the North.
The hometown of Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, Madagali Local Government Area, again came under attack on Tuesday night, with dozens reportedly killed, according to local sources.
Local sources put the casualty figure at no fewer than 24, though the police were yet to release an official figure.
The attack was the fourth on Madagali in five months.
The town was attacked on October 1, 2025; November 19, 2025; December 8, 2025; and most recently on February 24, 2026.
Mr Mohammed Yusuf, from Kirchinga — the governor’s village — told our correspondent in a telephone interview on Thursday that suspected Boko Haram insurgents invaded the village around midnight on Tuesday, killing several residents.
When contacted, the Adamawa State Police Command spokesman, SP Suleiman Nguroje, said authorities were still compiling casualty figures.
“I am still making contact to get the correct figure of the casualties; just give me a little time,” he said.
In Kebbi State, gunmen attacked a mosque in the Dadinkowa community, Maiyama Local Government Area, on Wednesday night, killing five worshippers and injuring several others.
Residents said the assailants stormed the mosque while prayers were ongoing and opened fire on the congregation, throwing the community into panic.
According to local sources, the attackers arrived heavily armed and went straight to the mosque, where they shot indiscriminately at worshippers.
Five persons were said to have died on the spot, while several others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
The injured victims were rushed to nearby medical facilities for treatment.
The Kebbi State Police Command confirmed the killing of five worshippers.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the state PPRO, Bashir Usman, said the incident occurred at about 8:30 pm during a nighttime Qur’anic Tafsir session coinciding with Taraweeh prayers.
According to him, the attackers stormed the mosque and opened fire on the congregation, killing five people and injuring three others.
“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.
Usman said police operatives, in collaboration with other security agencies, had been deployed to restore calm and commence investigations.
He assured residents that efforts were ongoing to track down the perpetrators and urged members of the public to remain calm and provide useful information.
There were also fresh abductions in Sokoto and Kwara states.
Suspected bandits attacked Rabah Local Government Area of Sokoto State on Tuesday night, whisking away several residents.
Local sources said the attackers stormed the town under the cover of darkness, firing sporadically to scare residents before moving from house to house.
The exact number of victims remained unclear, but families were seen searching for missing relatives as panic spread across the community.
The latest raid came barely a week after a similar attack in the same area, during which 16 people were abducted.
In that incident, the gunmen allegedly demanded a ransom of N20m and three motorcycles — a demand residents described as crippling and inhumane.
Rabah and other parts of Sokoto have in recent months witnessed recurring cases of banditry, kidnapping and extortion, worsening the humanitarian situation in vulnerable rural settlements.
Residents said the persistent attacks had disrupted farming activities and daily life, forcing many to sleep in fear or flee to safer locations.
Efforts to obtain an official response were unsuccessful as the spokesman for the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmed Rufa’i, could not be reached as of the time of filing this report.
Similarly, the Babanla community in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State experienced abductions in the early hours of Wednesday as suspected bandits kidnapped four members of the same family on their farmland.
The PUNCH 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 shots into the air, sending other farmers fleeing.
A community source said 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 requested 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.”
The Chairman of Ifelodun Local Government Area, Femi Yusuf, 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.
As of 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.
Worried by incessant attacks, youths from Kwara North stormed the Government House in Ilorin on Wednesday in protest.
Under the aegis of the Coalition of Kwara North Youths, they demanded an immediate end to killings and bandit attacks in Edu, Patigi and Kaiama LGAs.
Addressing journalists, the coordinator, Usman Haruna, said, “Our communities are bleeding, and silence in the face of repeated tragedy would amount to complicity.”
He alleged that recent attacks on Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama LGA claimed between 162 and 200 lives within two days.
“These were not mere numbers; they were men, women and children whose absence has created permanent voids,” he said.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, meanwhile, called for the expansion of the Nigerian Army Aviation wing, describing it as a critical force multiplier in confronting evolving security challenges.
He said sustained funding and policy support were essential to maximising operational impact.
Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, also vowed justice for victims of recent attacks in Dorowa Babuje and Jong communities of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area.
Represented by his deputy, Ngo Piyo, he assured residents that perpetrators would face the full weight of the law.
Nine victims of a terror attack in Dorowa Babuje were on Tuesday laid to rest in a mass burial attended by grieving residents and community leaders.
