Weekly Attack Roundup
By Ezinwanne Onwuka
Nigeria’s Middle Belt took the hardest hits last week, as five attacks swept through Plateau, Benue, Kwara, and Kogi states. Beyond Central Nigeria, violence spread in waves across the country, with five attacks further North and one in the West.
Five Communities Hit as Attacks Sweep Nigeria’s Middle Belt
Five communities were hit by Fulani Ethnic Militia in a string of attacks that moved from remote mining sites to village roads and into security outposts.
In Plateau State, a mining site in Mazat community, Barkin Ladi County, turned into a scene of grief, when four people, including a pregnant woman, were killed. Local leaders described the killings as sparking “deep outrage and increasing concern.”
Benue felt the violence differently faster and harder to contain. On the night of April 26, the sound of motorcycles cut through the dark in Logo County. More than 40 armed men rode into Channel One community around 11:00 p.m. local time, firing as they moved. Seven people were killed, several others wounded.
Not far away in Sati-Ikov of Ushongo County, mourners returning from a burial walked into an ambush. Three people were killed, and two others taken.
In Kwara State, the target shifted. This time, it was security forces. Gunmen attacked a Police Mobile Force camp in Tenebo community in the early hours of May 2, killing three officers and critically injuring others.
Authorities said the attack was received with “profound shock and deep sorrow.” It followed closely behind another assault on a military base in Kemanji community, Kaiama County that left three soldiers dead.
An orphanage and school was raided on April 26 in Lokoja, Kogi State capital city. The gunmen left with 23 children and the wife of the proprietor. Security forces later rescued 15, but eight children and the woman remain missing.
Officials did not disclose the ages of the abducted children, but it referred to them as “pupils”, which in Nigeria usually refers to someone in kindergarten or primary school, covering ages up to 12.
Lake Chad Shudders as ISWAP Strikes Adamawa Villages
The Lake Chad Front was tense again last week following the killing of at least 30 people in Guyaku community in Gombi County, Adamawa State, which borders Cameroon and is a hotspot for violence by jihadists and criminal gangs.
The attack began in the open. Around 5:00 p.m. local time, on Monday, April 27, young people had gathered on a football pitch when fighters linked to the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) entered the community and opened fire on players and spectators.
What followed was a sweeping assault through the village. The attackers pursued fleeing residents, pushing deeper into the village. By the time the gunmen withdrew, at least 30 people lay dead, with homes still burning. A church was also torched, along with dozens of motorcycles.
Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, who visited the area, condemned the violence, warning “it will not go unpunished” and pledging to intensify security operations to restore calm.
In a separate assault in nearby Yedul D, at least 10 more people were killed and property destroyed.
Church Targeted in the Southwest
Gunmen disrupted a church service at the Christ Apostolic Church in Eda Oniyo, Ilejemeje County, Ekiti State on Tuesday. They killed the guest minister and abducted about 15 members of the congregation.
Reports say the attackers are demanding a ransom of ₦1 billion.
The aftermath was immediate. On Sunday (May 3), all 15 churches in the community were shut—no church service held. And residents stayed indoors, unsure of what might come next.
Armed Groups Exploit Fragile Peace in North
Further north, the violence returned to communities that had only just begun to experience relative peace.
Jeka da Kolo and Kwalgoro villages in Katsina came under heavy attacks by bandits around noon on Sunday. By the time it ended, at least 11 people were dead. Police tactical teams in Katsina State moved in and pushed the attackers back, but only after the damage had been done.
Elsewhere in the state, 15 people—mostly women and children—were abducted during a late-night raid on April 30. Local volunteers mobilized but could not stop the attackers.
Sources linked the attack to bandit leader Kwashen Garwa, who had reportedly been part of a peace deal months earlier. The village had seen relative calm since until the latest assault.
In neighboring Kaduna State, the violence followed a familiar script. Fulani ethnic militia entered Gidan Ali community in Zangon Kataf County in the twilight hours of Monday, April 27, killed a respected local volunteer guard leader, and took a village head, a pastor, and members of his family as hostages. A sign of Nigeria’s everyday chaos: the gruesome murder and kidnapping of the pastor’s family was only reported by TruthNigeria. The event has gone entirely unnoticed by the Nigerian digital media establishment.
The attack came after months of relative calm, which had led local volunteer guards to ease their vigilance. A ransom demand of ₦70 million (about $50,000) soon followed.
Security Forces Report Gains
As the attacks spread, security forces say they are pushing back.
Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters reported that troops killed 216 suspected terrorists and arrested 284 others in April, including key leaders. Additionally, 188 kidnapped victims were rescued, and several terrorist camps were dismantled.
In Akwa Ibom State, authorities say they averted what could have been a major attack on a correctional facility in Ikot Ekpene. Explosives discovered at the site were safely detonated.
Recovered materials included high explosive rounds, fuses, and tools believed to be intended for a coordinated attack.
Ezinwanne Onwuka is a conflict reporter for TruthNigeria.
