By Ezinwanne Onwuka
Before dawn, gunmen slipped into sleeping villages. Commuters never reached their destinations. A school was reduced to ashes. Security operatives were ambushed. Even men carrying ransom money to free a hostage ended up in captivity themselves.
That was the rhythm of violence across northern Nigeria last week as armed groups left a trail of bloodshed stretching from the Northwest to the North-Central region. At least 34 people were killed, 12 abducted and scores more injured in attacks.
Northwest: 29 Killed, 8 Abducted
The week’s deadliest attack unfolded in Zamfara State, where armed bandits swept into the farming community of Sado in Talata Mafara County on Friday (June 26).
Residents barely had time to flee before gunmen opened fire, killing 15 people. The attackers looted homes before disappearing into the surrounding forests, leaving the community in mourning.
Less than 24 hours earlier, grief had already settled over Kuda-Kuda village in Goronyo County in Sokoto State.
Shortly before 1:00 a.m., gunmen stormed the community and operated for nearly two hours, firing indiscriminately, rustling livestock and moving from house to house.
By daybreak, the village’s Chief Imam, Liman Audu, and three other residents were dead. Eight others were taken away.
Three survivors suffered gunshot wounds to the chest and were rushed to a hospital. Residents said they fear the victims would not survive.
Around the same time, another attack was unfolding in Katsina State. Bandits raided Sayaya community in Matazu County, killing seven residents as families fled through the darkness.
“We were asleep when we heard heavy gunshots. People were screaming, children were crying, and everyone was running in different directions,” one resident told Daily Trust.
Residents said the attack came shortly after troops were withdrawn from the area, although authorities have not confirmed the claim.
In Kaduna State, a successful rescue operation ended in tragedy. About 15 heavily armed bandits abducted several farmers from fields near Unguwan Sa’idu village in Birnin Gwari County on Wednesday (June 24).
A joint team of police officers and members of the Kaduna State Vigilance Service tracked the gunmen, engaged them in a firefight and rescued all nine captives.
But as the security team made its way back, the fleeing bandits laid an ambush. Two police officers were fatally shot.
The week ended with another troubling development in Sokoto State.
In the early hours of Sunday (June 28), a passenger vehicle traveling along the Kurawa-Sabon Birni road struck an improvised explosive device (IED), injuring several passengers. A motorcycle was also caught in the blast, leaving its rider and a passenger injured.
Security analysts and local reports via Daily Trust said the explosives were allegedly planted by bandits to slow the movement of security forces stationed in Sabon Birni during an overnight raid on Kurawa village.
The attackers reportedly killed one resident, identified as Sabiu Yakubu, injured several others and fled before security personnel could reach the community.
North-Central: 5 Killed, 4 Abducted
The week’s first major incident came on Monday (June 22) in Kwara State, where gunmen abducted Bayo Fabiyi, a local leader of the Odua Peoples Congress (OPC), alongside two others.
The three were on their way to deliver a ransom of ₦30 million (US$21,738), five motorcycles and three bags of rice to secure the release of an earlier hostage when they were ambushed in the forests of Oko-Irese along the Kwara–Kogi border.
Unbeknownst to Fabiyi and his team, the hostage they hoped to rescue had already been killed by his captors.
The previous day (June 23), suspected terrorists opened fire on commuters en route to a local market along the Okoloke-Egbe road, killing two people while several others escaped.
The attacks continued on Wednesday (June 24) in Niger State, where residents of Dekara discovered that paying for peace offered no guarantee of safety.
Communities had reportedly raised and paid ₦10 million (US$7,246) demanded by armed men after they threatened to attack if the levy was not met. Despite the payment, the gunmen returned and set the community’s primary school ablaze.
In a separate attack in Shiroro County, one resident was killed and another abducted during raids on Dnakau, Lanta and Unguwan Kawo communities.
On Friday (June 26), gunmen ambushed and killed Ardo Risku Mohammed, chairman of the Benue State chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), and his companion, Yakubu Isa, as they returned from a peace meeting convened by a local police chief.
Police reported the arrest of 10 suspects in connection with the attack, describing the operation as a major breakthrough.
Ezinwanne Onwuka is a conflict reporter for TruthNigeria.
