At least 34 people have been killed following coordinated attacks on several villages in north-western Nigeria, allegedly carried out by suspected Islamist militants, officials told the BBC.
The assaults took place on Tuesday in a remote border district of Kebbi state, where gunmen launched simultaneous raids on multiple communities. Local defences were quickly overwhelmed, forcing residents to flee as attackers moved through the villages.
Survivors described the gunmen as well-organised and heavily armed, saying they fired indiscriminately at civilians as they advanced through the area.
Officials have attributed the attacks to Lakurawa, a relatively new militant group known to operate in the region. The group was previously targeted by US air strikes in December in neighbouring Sokoto state.
Security forces have since been deployed to the affected areas to protect remaining residents and provide assistance to survivors. Authorities say tracking operations are ongoing in an effort to block the militants’ escape routes.
While Nigerian authorities have not yet issued an official statement on the attacks, images circulating on social media show bodies wrapped in white shrouds being prepared for burial.
The killings have sparked widespread outrage online, with many Nigerians calling on the government to take stronger action to halt the persistent violence in parts of the country.
Lakurawa was officially designated a terrorist organisation by Nigerian authorities last year and banned nationwide, following reports that its fighters had been punishing civilians for listening to music. Officials say the group has links to jihadist factions operating in Mali and Niger.
For years, Lakurawa fighters have reportedly settled in communities along the Nigeria–Niger border, marrying local women and recruiting young people. The group has previously carried out similar attacks in Kebbi state, using coordinated assaults to overpower local vigilante groups.
The rise of Lakurawa adds to Nigeria’s already complex security crisis, as the government continues to combat Boko Haram insurgents in the north-east, armed kidnapping gangs across the north-west and central regions, and separatist movements in the south-east.
