By Ezinwanne Onwuka
At least 37 people were killed and 27 abducted across Nigeria in the final week of May as armed groups launched coordinated attacks spanning the North Central, Northeast, and Northwest, overwhelming rural communities and testing security forces despite military claims of nationwide gains.
North Central Record 17 Deaths
Nigeria’s North Central zone bore the brunt of last week’s violence, with repeated attacks targeting rural communities.
In Kwara State, suspected armed bandits launched a coordinated midnight assault on Yashikira in Baruten County on Monday (May 25), attacking both the police divisional headquarters and the palace of the emir, Alhaji Umaru Seriki Usman.
While police successfully repelled the attack on the station, the assailants abducted 10 people, including members of the emir’s family, and set parts of the palace ablaze. The emir, however, escaped unharmed.
The raid came less than 48 hours after three Christians were killed and 15 others abducted at a prayer ground elsewhere in the state, underscoring a rapid escalation in violence.
Further bloodshed was reported in Plateau State, where at least seven people were killed in a late-night attack on Foron in Barkin Ladi County.
According to information available to TruthNigeria, gunmen stormed the community around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday (May 30), opening fire and attacking residents with knives as they prepared to sleep. Victims were rushed to nearby hospitals, and the number of injured is expected to rise as more details emerge.
In nearby Mangu County, coordinated attacks on Sunday (May 31) left nine more people dead, according to local sources.
Six women were killed while processing groundnuts in Gwamajang village, while several others sustained gunshot wounds. Roughly 45 minutes later, attackers struck again in Tukur village, killing three more people before fleeing upon sighting advancing troops.
In Benue State, Fulani ethnic militia carried out an early-morning attack on Chikor community in Logo County on Saturday (May 30), killing one person and injuring another.
Reports said the attackers opened fire around 4:30 a.m., catching the community off guard. Troops under Operation Whirl Stroke arrived after the assailants had fled.
Insurgents Target Security Forces in Northeast
In Nigeria’s conflict-ridden Northeast, insurgent groups escalated attacks on security personnel, combining roadside explosives with direct assaults on military positions.
A Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) commander was killed on Wednesday (May 27) when an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated near Baga in Borno State, highlighting the persistent threat posed by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
According to a TruthNigeria report, the blast destroyed the vehicle and killed the commander instantly, leaving behind twisted metal and debris.
On the same day, insurgents attempted to overrun the 115 Task Force Battalion outpost in Yarchida, Chibok County. Reinforcements from the 117 Task Force Battalion backed the defending troops, and the assault was successfully repelled. The military reported no casualties on either side.
A similar attack in Konduga County on Sunday (May 31) was also repelled after a brief exchange of fire. Four insurgents were killed in the clash, while one Nigerian soldier sustained gunshot injuries and was evacuated for treatment.
16 Killed, Retired General Abducted in Northwest
Mass killings and the abduction of a retired senior military officer marked a violent week in Nigeria’s Northwest.
In Katsina State, gunmen abducted a retired senior military officer, Major General Rabe Abubakar, and his wife on Saturday (May 30).
Abubakar, who served as Nigeria’s military spokesman between 2015 and 2017, was seized from his vehicle while traveling through the state,
The abduction came just a day after a deadly attack in the state.
Bandits stormed Kiliya, a predominantly Muslim village in Dutsinma County shortly after Friday prayers, killing at least 16 people.
Witnesses said gunmen riding on motorcycles opened fire indiscriminately on residents and passersby. Survivors fled into nearby homes and farmlands, later emerging to find bodies scattered across the community.
Authorities have yet to issue an official statement on the killings.
In neighboring Kaduna State, suspected Fulani ethnic militia attacked Lusuru village in Zangon Kataf County at midnight on Tuesday (May 26).
Troops intervened, forcing the assailants to retreat, but not before two residents were injured in the assault.
Military Reports Gains as ISWAP Confirms Death of Senior Commander
In May, the military reported significant operational gains. According to official figures shared on its social media pages, security forces rescued 221 kidnapped victims, arrested 314 suspects, and killed 317 militants and criminal operatives across multiple theaters of operation nationwide
ISWAP has also confirmed the death of one of its senior commanders, Abu-Bilal al-Mainuki, following a joint operation conducted by United States and Nigerian forces two weeks ago.
A statement shared by Zagazola Makama quoted the group as claiming that U.S. forces spent six months tracking al-Mainuki using “all types of drones” before launching what it described as a “massive multi-point airborne landing” involving “large forces and heavy gunfire.”
The statement further alleged that the group’s “newly established media headquarters in the middle of the forests” was directly targeted during the raid. It acknowledged that members of its media unit were killed, describing them as “martyrs” who “did not surrender to their enemy and did not compromise their religion.”
Ezinwanne Onwuka is a conflict reporter for TruthNigeria.
