Attacks by armed groups in the Middle Belt, Northeast, Northwest, and South leave at least 37 dead, dozens kidnapped, and multiple communities displaced.
By Ezinwanne Onwuka
Before dawn, Fulani ethnic militia massacred 15 Christians in a farming community in the Middle Belt, jolting residents awake with gunfire. But that was only one chapter in a relentless week of violence that swept across Nigeria. Days later, militants ambushed troops in northwest, killing two soldiers. By the end of the week, at least 37 people had lost their lives.
Northeast: Teachers Killed, Students Abducted in Fresh Attacks
Students and teachers at Government Day Secondary School in Lassa, Borno State, had just begun the day’s activities on Monday (June 29) when Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters, disguised in military and forest guard uniforms, burst onto the school grounds.
The insurgents killed two teachers, abducted the vice principal, another staff member and several students, and scattered dozens of pupils into nearby bushes. As frightened children fled in different directions, many were initially reported missing.
Security forces tracked the attackers through nearby forests and rescued eight students and two teachers. The operation however claimed the lives of a soldier and a civilian guard, leaving 36 people still in captivity. Troops rescued six more students by the weekend.
Police spokesperson Nahum Daso said the attackers quietly entered the community a day before the raid, posing as traders during the weekly market before striking.
The attack revived memories of another school abduction just weeks earlier. Lassa is about 12 miles from Mussa, where gunmen kidnapped 42 pupils from a primary and junior secondary school on May 15, 2026, all of whom remain in captivity.
The school attack came less than 24 hours after gunmen kidnapped six women and two babies from farms in the same county, according to PREMIUM TIMES.
As security agencies grappled with the fallout in Borno, the violence spread to Taraba State later that week. On Thursday (July 2), bandits invaded Gwomu community in Bikwin Ward of Karim Lamido County.
The assault quickly spread across Bobbo, Weyam and Bakau villages, killing at least three people, burning homes and forcing hundreds of residents to flee.
Many displaced families sought refuge in neighboring Bambuka, Dadiya, Loh and Panya communities.
Middle Belt: Massacre, Kidnapping Rock Benue, Plateau
The week’s deadliest violence unfolded before dawn on Wednesday (July 1) in Benue State, where residents of Sai community in Katsina-Ala County awoke to gunfire.
Fulani ethnic militia stormed the farming settlement as families slept, forcing terrified residents to flee into surrounding bushes while setting homes ablaze.
By sunrise, at least 15 Christians were dead, more than 10 others had been wounded, and several residents remained missing as security forces searched nearby forests.
The attack left homes in ruins, displaced families and another farming community struggling to rebuild.
Condemning the killings, Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia described the assault as “an ugly, cowardly and unacceptable act of violence.”
The massacre came barely 24 hours after another attack in the state. On Tuesday (June 30), gunmen abducted Rev. Dr. Samuel Gbinde and two members of his congregation from the pastor’s residence at NKST Church in Andyar, Ishan Classis.
The church announced Rev. Gbinde’s release on Thursday (July 2) but provided no update on the two other members of his congregation who were abducted alongside him.
The violence also spilled into neighboring Plateau State that day.
Near an illegal mining site in Jos South, Fulani ethnic militia killed three people and wounded two others before fleeing.
Troops under Operation Safe Haven, supported by local vigilantes, responded to a distress call and pursued the attackers toward the Dutse Kura area of neighboring Bassa County. The gunmen, however, escaped, leaving behind another grieving community.
Northwest: Villagers Resist Bandits, Military Comes Under Attack
On Tuesday (June 30), armed bandits stormed Dansarai village in Katsina State, firing indiscriminately as they rode into the community and killing four residents.
Instead of fleeing, villagers joined local vigilantes to confront the attackers. The gun battle that followed left four bandits dead, forcing the survivors to abandon plans to loot homes and rustle livestock.
The victory came at a cost. Eight villagers suffered gunshot wounds, and residents said repeated distress calls to security agencies went unanswered until after the attackers had fled.
The violence also took a toll on Nigeria’s military in neighboring Sokoto State.
Troops from the Nigerian Army’s 8 Division, stationed at Forward Operating Base Tidibale, responded to reports of terrorist activity in Tagirke village, Isa County, and drove the attackers out after a firefight.
The operation, however, ended in tragedy. As the troops withdrew, retreating militants laid an ambush. One military gun truck was ripped by an improvised explosive device, killing two soldiers and injuring three others.
The attacks on security forces continued later in the week. On Thursday (July 2), bandits attempted to overrun the Nigerian military’s Forward Operating Base at Gwashi in Bukuyyum County, Zamfara State.
Soldiers repelled the assault after a fierce exchange of gunfire, forcing the attackers to retreat. No military casualties were reported.
South: One Killed as 14 Christians Regain Freedom
Even in southern Nigeria, far from the insurgency-ravaged northeast and the bandit strongholds of the northwest, violence reached another quiet community.
On Thursday (July 2), armed bandits descended on the remote villages of Keluje/Yaula and Kulodo in Cross River State, opening fire while rustling livestock.
The attackers killed a 50-year-old resident, Malam Aliyu, and wounded another man, Malam Tunau, before disappearing into the surrounding bush ahead of the arrival of security personnel.
Yet the week ended with a rare glimmer of hope.
Late on Friday (July 3), 14 Christians abducted during a church crusade in Ekiti State regained their freedom after nine weeks in captivity.
Their ordeal began on Tuesday (April 28) when gunmen stormed an open-air crusade organized by the Christ Apostolic Church in Eda Oniyo-Ekiti, Ilejemeje County.
The attackers killed the officiating pastor and abducted 15 worshippers, forcing them into the bush.
The reunion, however, was bittersweet. Fourteen captives returned alive, but one victim died in captivity.
Authorities have not disclosed the circumstances surrounding the victims’ release or identified those responsible for the attack.
Ezinwanne Onwuka is a conflict reporter for TruthNigeria.