ABUJA, NIGERIA — A wave of calculated violence swept through Northern Nigeria over the past 48 hours, leaving at least 29 people dead and dozens missing in a series of brutal raids across Kebbi, Adamawa, Sokoto, and Kwara states. The attacks, which struck between February 24 and February 26, 2026, targeted some of the region’s most vulnerable rural outposts, occurring while many were at prayer or asleep.
Massacre in the Mosque: The Kebbi Reprisal
The most chilling assault took place in Dadin Kowa, Maiyama Local Government Area of Kebbi State. Late Wednesday night, gunmen suspected to be members of the extremist Lakurawa group stormed a local mosque during Taraweeh prayers.
The terrorists surrounded the building and opened fire indiscriminately, killing five worshippers and wounding several others. Security sources describe the massacre as a reprisal after the military foiled a Lakurawa ambush on a high-ranking general’s convoy just 24 hours earlier. This follows a horrific trend in the state; just last week, the same group was blamed for the killing of 34 residents in the Arewa Local Government Area.
Adamawa: 24 Slaughtered in Governor’s Hometown
In the North-East, the hometown of Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri was once again bathed in blood. Suspected insurgents invaded Kirchinga in the Madagali Local Government Area around midnight on Tuesday.
Local sources report that 24 people were killed in the raid. Witnesses recounted that the attackers arrived dressed in military uniforms, a deceptive tactic that led residents to initially mistake them for soldiers on patrol. This marks the fourth major attack on the district in just five months, highlighting a catastrophic failure in regional border security.
Sokoto and Kwara: Curfews and Mass Abductions
While the death tolls mounted in the North-West and North-East, fresh terror gripped Sokoto and Kwara, where mass abductions have forced entire populations to abandon their farms.
- Sokoto: Armed bandits launched a midnight raid on farmers in the Isa Local Government Area on Thursday morning, barely an hour before a scheduled visit by Governor Ahmed Aliyu.
- Kwara: The once-quiet Gbugbu community in Edu Local Government Area has been placed under a dusk-to-dawn curfew following a raid that left one dead and several local traders missing.
A Nation Strained to the Breaking Point
The surge in violence coincides with a terrifying warning from Bauchi Governor Bala Mohammed, who revealed that an estimated 10,000 “well-armed” bandits are now operating in the Alkaleri axis, many recruited from the ranks of former illegal miners.
This security collapse is further compounded by a massive $347 million shortfall in the UN’s 2026 aid plan, which could force food assistance cuts for nearly 5.8 million people as early as next month. As regional leaders like Cardinal Onaiyekan and Buba Galadima continue to slam the Abuja “regency” for its “selective justice” and “wasting” leadership, the bloodstained prayer mats of Kebbi remain a grim testament to the state of the union.
