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Gunmen have killed at least 60 people in a series of attacks on villages in Kebbi State and Niger State, according to local clergy and humanitarian sources.
The attacks, which affected at least 10 villages across the two neighbouring states in the northwest of the country, were reported by community leaders and humanitarian groups monitoring the situation.
In Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, at least 20 people were killed during an attack on Erena village on Tuesday, according to a situation report citing local humanitarian sources, including a health facility and a community group.
Police authorities confirmed the incident, stating that two vigilante members and a driver attached to a joint security team were also among those killed.
Security officials said the bandits, armed with sophisticated weapons, also targeted a military position during the assault.
The Shiroro district has long experienced violence linked to criminal gangs. Security analysts say the groups are increasingly collaborating on attacks against rural communities.
In neighbouring Kebbi State, local church leaders reported dozens of additional deaths following attacks on multiple villages.
One cleric, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said at least 24 people had been confirmed killed but that reports from affected communities suggested the death toll could exceed 40.
“They killed everybody in sight, including Christians, Muslims and traditional worshippers,” the cleric said, adding that homes, churches, livestock and food stores were also destroyed.
According to him, attackers have been moving through the area for several days, searching nearby bushland where villagers often hide during raids and “shoot them down”.
More than 500 residents have reportedly fled the affected communities and are now sheltering in churches and schools in Yauri in Kebbi State.
The cleric added that many displaced residents have been unable to return to their villages to bury those killed.
No group has formally claimed responsibility for the attacks.
However, police authorities in Kebbi State blamed a local jihadist faction known as Mahmuda.
Security analysts say the group is linked to Ansaru, a militant faction that split from Boko Haram and is believed to maintain ties with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.
Kebbi State, which borders Benin and Niger, has seen a rise in militant activity since 2025.
Data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project indicates increasing violence in the region by groups linked to both Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
Like many areas in northern Nigeria, the region faces a combination of insurgency and attacks by armed bandit groups who frequently raid villages and kidnap residents for ransom.
