Gunmen kill 50 in three northern Nigeria states

Gunmen killed at least 50 people in separate attacks on three northern Nigerian states, official and local sources confirmed to Anadolu on Monday.

The attacks were carried out in Katsina, Kebbi, and Benue States on Saturday and Sunday, highlighting the region's growing security concerns.

While no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, many believe they were carried out by bandits, who have been engaged in criminal activities in northern Nigeria since 2020, often involving violence, robbery, or kidnapping. They have become a major security concern in Nigeria, causing disruptions to communities and livelihoods.

According to residents, 20 bodies were discovered on Sunday in the Gobirawa community in Katsina's Dutsinma Local Government Area. They were reported to have been killed by bandits late on Saturday night.

Shops and houses destroyed

Multiple eyewitnesses told Anadolu over the phone that the assailants stormed the community on motorcycles and shot civilians.

According to Abdurrahman Abdullahi, chairman of the Katsina State Coalition of Civil Societies and a community leader in Gobirawa, the attack destroyed 15 shops and 20 houses.

"Apart from the 20 bodies we were able to recover on Sunday, many residents have been displaced and are missing," Abdullahi told Anadolu.

Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, a spokesperson for the state Police Department, confirmed the attacks to Anadolu but did not provide any additional information. State police are yet to issue a statement on the attacks.

Farmers killed in their farms

On Sunday, 15 farmers in Kebbi were killed while working on their farms in Waje village, Danko Wasagu Local Government Area.

Aliyu Ahmad Wasagu, one of the farmers who escaped, said the incident occurred on Sunday, when residents thought normalcy had returned to the area.

"The attack came just when we thought normalcy had returned to Danko Wasagu communities," he told Anadolu.

Hussaini Aliyu Bena, executive chairperson of the state's Danko Wasagu Local Government Area, confirmed the development, saying terrorists killed 15 people and injured three others.

Calls to address insecurity

Meanwhile, another 15 people were killed on Sunday evening near Ogwumogbo and Okpo'okpolo in Benue State's Agatu Local Government Area. They were mostly traders.

According to Quadri Muniru, a trader who spoke with Anadolu late on Sunday evening, the victims were ambushed while returning from the Oweto market.

The attacks have reignited calls for stronger security measures in vulnerable communities.

The Nigerian government is under increasing pressure to address the growing insecurity in the region, which has resulted in thousands of deaths and displacements.