President Tinubu orders crackdown on gangs after 150 killed in conflict-hit north

President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday directed security agencies to hunt down the perpetrators of a weekend attack that killed at least 150 people in the country's northcentral, as he faces growing pressure over a worsening security crisis.

Tinubu visited Benue state, the site of the recent deadly attacks, seeking to calm tensions and promise justice for the victims. “We will restore peace, rebuild, and bring the perpetrators to justice. You are not alone.” the Nigerian leader said on X.

Assailants stormed Benue state’s Yelewata community from Friday night till Saturday morning, opening fire on villagers who were asleep and setting their homes ablaze, survivors and the local farmers union said. Many of those killed were sheltering in a local market after fleeing violence in other parts of the state.

Authorities in Benue state blamed herdsmen for the attack, a type of violence frequently seen in northern Nigeria's decadeslong pastoral conflict.

Opposition leaders and critics have accused Tinubu of a delayed response to the killings, noting his office issued a statement over 24 hours after the attack. His visit to the state occurred five days later.

The Nigerian leader traveled to Makurdi, Benue State’s capital, where he visited a hospital to see those injured in the attack and met with local leaders to discuss how to end the killings. He did not visit the Yelewata community.

He also appeared to reprimand the police for not making any arrest yet more than four days after the killings.

“How come no arrest has been made? I expect there should be an arrest of those criminals,” Tinubu asked as he addressed senior police officers during a gathering in Benue.

Analysts blame Nigeria's worsening security crisis on a lack of political will to go after criminals and ensure justice for victims.

“In the end, the result is the same: No justice, no accountability, and no closure for the victims and their communities," said Senator Iroegbu, a security analyst based in Nigeria's capital Abuja. “Until this changes, impunity will remain the norm, and such tragedies will continue to occur.”

By Dyepkazah Shibayan, AP

Related story: Video - Persistent clashes in Central Nigeria over land and resources

Video - Persistent clashes in Central Nigeria over land and resources

Residents of Yelewata in Benue State, Central Nigeria, are struggling to recover from a devastating overnight attack this weekend. Such attacks are frequent in the region, driven by ongoing conflicts between farmers and nomadic herders over competition for land and resources.

CGTN

Related stories: Death toll from an attack by gunmen in north-central Nigeria reaches 150

Video - At least 45 killed by gunmen in Nigeria’s Benue state

Video - At least 50 dead as violence erupts in Nigeria’s Taraba state

Death toll from an attack by gunmen in north-central Nigeria reaches 150

The death toll from an attack by gunmen over the weekend in north-central Nigeria has climbed to 150, survivors said Monday as the villagers were still digging through burned homes, counting their dead and looking for dozens of people still missing.

Assailants stormed Benue state’s Yelewata community late on Friday night, opening fire on villagers who were asleep and setting their homes ablaze, survivors and the local farmers union said. Many of those killed were sheltering in a local market after fleeing violence in other parts of the state.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the killings, but such attacks are common in Nigeria’s northern region where local herders and farmers often clash over limited access to land and water. The prolonged conflict has become deadlier in recent years, with authorities and analysts warning that more herdsmen are taking up arms.


The farmers accuse the herders, mostly of Fulani origin, of grazing their livestock on their farms and destroying their produce. The herders insist that the lands are grazing routes that were first backed by law in 1965, five years after the country gained its independence.

Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, whose government has fallen short of expectations in ending the country’s deadly security crises, described the Benue attack as “senseless bloodletting” while his office said he would visit the stricken community on Wednesday.

Titus Tsegba, who lost his wife and four of his children in the attack, said more than 20 bodies were recovered on Monday. The initial death toll was reported to be 100 on Saturday.

His wife and children — the youngest 8 and the oldest 27 — were “burned into ashes beyond recognition,” he told The Associated Press, adding that he survived because he was sleeping in another part of the community.

“Everything is gone,” he said.

Benue Deputy Gov. Sam Ode said he suspected the perpetrators were herdsmen. Ode and the survivors spoke to the AP by phone.

The gunmen made it difficult for many to flee after surrounding the Yelewata community, which is about 120 kilometers (75 miles) from the state capital of Makurdi, said Jacob Psokaa, who lost his 55-year-old father in the attack.

“They were coming from different sides at the same moment … it was sporadic shooting,” Psokaa said. “The situation is very bad now with many people in the ground … your people leaving you suddenly.”

The gunmen also burned food stores in the local market, razing a year’s harvest that included rice and yam, staple food mainly exported from Benue to other parts of Nigeria.

“Enough is enough!” said Tinubu, the president. “I have directed the security agencies to act decisively, arrest perpetrators of these evil acts on all sides of the conflict, and prosecute them.”

By Chinedu Asadu, AP

Related story: Video - At least 45 killed by gunmen in Nigeria’s Benue state

Video - At least 45 killed by gunmen in Nigeria’s Benue state

The spokesperson for Benue state's governor's said armed bandits attacked Yelwata town early on Saturday, killing 45 people. A police spokesperson confirmed the attack, saying they had engaged suspects in a gun battle. The attacks are the latest violence to hit Benue, a state facing land disputes.

CGTN

Related story: Police break up Nigeria protest as anger mounts over killings in southern state

Police break up Nigeria protest as anger mounts over killings in southern state

Police fired tear gas to disperse protesters in the central city of Makurdi on Sunday, as anger mounted over the killing of dozens of people by gunmen in a nearby town.

Gunmen attacked the village of Yelewata on Friday night in a region that has seen a surge in violence amid clashes between Muslim Fulani herders and mostly Christian farmers competing for land and resources.

Police fired tear gas to break up a protest by thousands of people, witnesses said, as demonstrators called on the state’s governor to act swiftly to halt the cycle of violence.

“The protesters were given specific time by the security to make their peaceful protest and disperse,” Tersoo Kula, spokesperson for Benue state’s governor, told AFP.

John Shiaondo, a local journalist, said he was covering the “peaceful protest” when the police moved in and started firing tear gas.

“Many people ran away for fear of injuries, and I also left the scene for my safety,” he told AFP.
Joseph Hir, who took part in the protest, said people were protesting the killings in Benue when the police intervened.

“We are not abusing anyone, we are also not tampering with anybody’s property, we are discharging our rights to peacefully protest the unabated killings of our people, and now the police are shooting tear gas at us,” he told AFP.

Benue state governor Hyacinth Alia told a news conference late Sunday that the death toll had reached 59 in Yelewata, though residents said the toll could exceed 100.

“We will move very quickly to set up a five-man panel... to enable us find out who the culprits are, to know who the sponsors are and to identify the victims and to see how justice will be applied,” Alia said.
Amnesty International put the death toll at more than 100.

The rights group called the attack “horrifying,” saying it “shows the security measures (the) government claims to be implementing in the state are not working.”

Pope Leo XIV also condemned the killings, in comments during his Sunday prayer in Rome, calling it a “terrible massacre” in which mostly displaced civilians were murdered with “extreme cruelty.”
He said “rural Christian communities” in Benue were victims of incessant violence.

Authorities typically blame such attacks on Fulani herders but the latter say they are targets of violence and land seizures too.

Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said in a statement Sunday night he had “directed the security agencies to act decisively and arrest perpetrators of these evil acts on all sides of the conflict and prosecute them.

“Political and community leaders in Benue State must act responsibly and avoid inflammatory utterances that could further increase tensions and killings,” he said.

Governor Alia said earlier that “tactical teams had begun arriving from the federal government and security reinforcements are being deployed in vulnerable areas.”

“The state’s joint operational units are also being reinforced, and the government will not let up its efforts to defend the lives and property of all residents,” he said.

Attacks in the region, part of what is known as the central belt of Nigeria, are often motivated by religious or ethnic differences.

Two weeks ago, gunmen killed 25 people in two attacks in Benue state.

More than 150 people were killed in massacres across Plateau and Benue states in April.

AFP

Mounting death toll and looming humanitarian crisis amid unchecked attacks by armed groups in Nigeria

The Nigerian authorities’ shocking failure to protect lives and property from daily attacks by armed groups and bandits has cost thousands of lives and created a potential humanitarian crisis across many northern states, said Amnesty International.

A new investigation shows that, in the two years since the current government has been in power, at least 10,217 people have been killed in attacks by gunmen in Benue, Edo, Katsina, Kebbi, Plateau Sokoto and Zamfara state. Benue state accounts for the highest death toll of 6,896, followed by Plateau state, where 2,630 people were killed.

“Today marks exactly two years since President Bola Tinubu assumed office with a promise to enhance security. Instead, things have only gotten worse, as the authorities continue to fail to protect the rights to life, physical integrity, liberty and the security of tens of thousands of people across the country,” said Isa Sanusi, Director Amnesty International Nigeria.

“President Tinubu must fulfill his promises to Nigerians and urgently address the resurgence of the nation’s endemic security crisis. The recent escalation of attacks by Boko Haram and other armed groups shows that the security measures implemented by President Tinubu’s government are simply not working.”

In the two years since President Bola Tinubu’s government assumed power, new armed groups have emerged including Lakurawa in Sokoto and Kebbi state, and Mamuda in Kwara state, while hundreds of villages have been sacked by gunmen in Benue, Borno, Katsina, Sokoto, Plateau and Zamfara.

Mounting death toll

Since 29 May 2023, hundreds of people have been killed in rural areas where, our research since 2020 shows, a total absence of governance has given gunmen and criminal groups a free hand to commit atrocities.

Our investigation verified the killing of over 294 people in Katsina state and documented the abduction of 306 people, mostly women and girls, between May 2023 to May 2025.

In Zamfara state, attacks have occurred daily, with multiple attacks sometimes taking place in a single day. In the last two years, over 273 people have been killed and 467 people abducted. Since the beginning of the security crisis, bandits have sacked 638 villages across while 725 villages are under the control of bandits, across 13 local governments of Zamfara state.

Maru local government area also witnessed escalating attacks, including one on a mining site at Gobirawar Chali on 24 April 2025 in which over 20 miners were killed. The emergence of Lakurawa opened a new frontier of bloodshed in Kebbi state where at least 70 people were killed in 22 attacks.

Impunity in Benue and Plateau

The attacks in Benue and Plateau state were particularly vicious. During the 3 April attack on Bokkos local government of Plateau state, many people including children and entire families were brutally killed. In Benue state, the gunmen, ensured that after killing people, they also destroy bore holes, clinics and schools. During the attacks on communities in Ukum and Logo local government Amnesty International gathered evidence that grain reserves and places of worship were also destroyed.

Amnesty International’s findings show that all 23 local government areas of Benue state suffered such attacks, with more frequent attacks on Ukum, Logo, Katsina-Ala, Gwer West, Gwer East, Apa and Agatu local government areas. Over 200 villages have been sacked by gunmen across Benue state.

These attacks have triggered a wave of displacement with 450,000 people documented as internally displaced people.

In Plateau state, armed herders carried out 38 attacks. Between 27 March and 2 April 2025, coordinated attacks took place against five communities: Daffo, Gwande, Hurti, Manguna, and Ruwi in Bokkos local government. In the past two years, 167 rural communities were attacked in Bassa, Barkin Ladi, Bokkos, Jos East, Jos South, Mangu, Riyom and Wase local government areas.

As a result of these attacks, 65,000 people have been internally displaced. Some communities, in both Benue and Plateau, have been displaced more than once, after IDP camps were also attacked.

Looming humanitarian crisis

The majority, if not all of those affected by these attacks, are farmers, whose displacement means they can no longer cultivate their farms. This is causing a looming humanitarian crisis. The majority of those displaced in Plateau and Katsina states told Amnesty International that they had to resort to begging to survive daily life. At Dangulbi district of Zamfara state, farmers have to watch their harvest of sweet potatoes rot because bandits have prevented them from transporting them to the nearest market.

“These attacks deprive people of their right to life while the survivors are deprived of their livelihood,” said Isa Sanusi.

Between 9 and 11 May, gunmen sacked four villages of Isa local government area of Sokoto state. The affected communities are: Bafarawa, Gebe, Kamarawa, Garin Fadama and Haruwai. People of these villages are now displaced and struggle to feed daily.

Residents of villages in Zamfara, Sokoto and Katsina states told Amnesty International that gunmen also impose levies on them via phone calls, with the warning that failure to pay by a given deadline will be punished with death.

On the response of the Nigerian authorities, a resident of Maru local government Zamfara state told Amnesty International: “The only relationship between us and the government is that they issue media statements after we are attacked and killed. That is all they do. When the next attack comes, they will issue another empty statement, while bandits escalate their atrocities. We are helpless.”

Under international human rights law, the authorities have obligation to protect lives and ensure that those suspected of perpetrating these killings are held to account, as well as to provide victims with access to justice and effective remedies. Again and again, the Nigerian authorities are failing to live up to these obligations.

“Authorities must move swiftly to match their words with serious and concrete action to guarantee the human rights of everyone in Nigeria if they are to be taken seriously on their oft-expressed commitment to stop the killings, violence, abductions and other human rights crimes in several parts of the country.”

“The authorities’ failure to hold suspected perpetrators accountable is fueling a cycle of impunity that is making everyone feel unsafe. Time is running out, as gunmen, bandits and insurgents are ramping up attacks daily. The nationwide bloodshed must end now,” said Isa Sanusi.

Background

Amnesty International Nigeria has been monitoring the banditry attacks and clashes by herders and farmers since 2016 and, in 2020, investigated the authorities’ failure to protect rural communities from attacks.

Amnesty International

Armed gangs kill dozens in northeast Nigeria

Armed gangs in northeast Nigeria have killed dozens of people in two suspected attacks, a local governor and villagers said Saturday.

In a statement, the governor of Taraba state, Agbu Kefas, said "scores of people reportedly lost their lives and properties" in the attacks in the villages of Munga and Magani, in Karim Lamido district, early on Saturday.

What do we know about the attacks?

Kefas did not provide an exact death toll, but Nigerian outlet the Daily Post said more than 30 people had been killed by armed gangs, known in the West African country as "bandits."

"It was midnight, I heard gunshots, I woke up my brother and other people in our area," Magani resident Moses Kefas told AFP news agency.

He added that he and his neighbors returned after the gunmen had left. "I saw 16 bodies scattered around the village," he said.

Andrew John, from Munga, said he had seen about 13 dead bodies in his village.

Northern Nigeria gripped by deadly violence

Dozens of people have reportedly been displaced by the wave of violence.

The governor condemned the violence "in the strongest terms," calling it "horrendous and unacceptable."

"Our citizens' safety is my top priority," Kefas said, according to the Daily Post. "We have activated all necessary security measures to prevent further violence and bring those responsible to book."

Northeastern Nigeria has been plagued by violence in recent weeks, as armed gangs and Islamist groups, including Boko Haram, have increased their attacks.

The region has been ravaged by a 16-year insurgency. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and two million have been displaced, while the local economy has been badly damaged.

By Karl Sexton, DW

Video - Nigerian President Tinubu concerned by escalating violence in country

Rising incidents of violence in Nigeria’s north-east and north-central regions has caught the attention of President Bola Tinubu. On Wednesday, the head of state summoned the country's security chiefs and ordered them to immediately arrest the situation. Dozens of people were killed in militant attacks in Nigeria in April.

CGTN

Roadside bomb blast kills 26 in Nigeria’s restive northeast

At least 26 people have been killed as a truck hit an improvised explosive device in Nigeria’s restive northeast.

The blast on Monday killed men, women and children in Borno State, near the border with Cameroon, according to the military and residents. The region has been plagued for decades by armed groups including the ISIL affiliate in West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram, with violence flaring up in recent days.

“Twenty-six people died in the blast, comprising of 16 men, four women and six children,” a military officer speaking on condition of anonymity told the AFP news agency, adding that three further passengers were severely injured.

Borno State police offered no immediate comment.

The International NGO Safety Organisation, which provides security to foreign nongovernmental organisations in northeast Nigeria, said in an internal memo seen by the Reuters news agency that vehicles moving between the towns of Rann and Gamboru Ngala hit an IED.

“I took part in the funeral of the 26 people killed in the explosion; most of them were burned beyond recognition,” Akram Saad, a resident of the nearby town Rann, told AFP.

A video showed rows of bodies in white plastic bags laid on the floor of the morgue at Rann’s general hospital.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. But Abba Amma Muhammad, whose mother was killed, blamed the incident on Boko Haram.

Violence flares

Boko Haram’s uprising has plagued northeast Nigeria for the past 15 years, killing more than 40,000 people. The government has asserted that the groups are largely defeated, despite the persisting attacks.

ISWAP is also active in northern Borno and has launched sporadic ambushes on convoys and planted landmines along its highways.

The blast comes amid a flare-up of violence in northeast Nigeria in recent days, with the death toll rising to at least 50 people.

Boko Haram killed about 10 “vigilantes” from the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) in the state of Adamawa, sources reported earlier on Monday, according to AFP.

On Thursday, the group killed 14 farmers in Borno’s Gwoza district, a local official said.

Borno State governor Babagana Umara Zulum on Friday told Nigeria’s defence minister and military chiefs that Boko Haram and ISWAP were entrenching themselves in Lake Chad islands, Sambisa Forest and Mandara mountains on the border with Cameroon as a result of “military setbacks”.

Aljazeera

Nigeria confronts new 'drone threat' from ISWAP

The Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) recently deployed four armed drones carrying locally made grenades in an attack on the Forward Operating Base in the Wajikoro area of Borno, Northeast Nigeria, leaving about five soldiers injured.

Nigeria's military has stepped up efforts to contain ISWAP and Boko Haram insurgents. This week, local media reported that the army had thwarted plans by ISWAP to establish bases in Plateau and Bauchi states.

Using weaponized drones marks a significant shift in the insurgent group's tactics. Residents and critics are worried the new shift could further prolong the conflict in the region. Authorities have since banned the flying of drones, citing security concerns, while acknowledging that non-state actors have used the technology against military targets and Critical National Infrastructure (CNI).

Several African countries have adopted the use of drones, particularly the Medium Altitude, Long Endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle, in their fight against armed groups. The Sahel region is the epicenter of global terrorism and now accounts for over half of all terrorism-related deaths.
ISWAP's use of drones

ISWAP initially used drones to spread propaganda and surveillance. The group reportedly also operates tech tools like satellite internet and even uses artificial intelligence to edit propaganda materials.

In 2016, the group broke away from Boko Haram over doctrinal differences and subsequently became an affiliate of the so-calledIslamic State(IS), which gave the group access to resources and technical assistance.

Experts say the proliferation of drone warfare by state actors and its adoption by armed groups means they can enhance their offensive capabilities while minimizing risks to their fighters.

"They (ISWAP) have been using drones as observation drones for some time already," Vincent Foucher, a research fellow at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), told DW. He explained that the use of armed drones is growing in popularity with the war in Ukraine, adding it has "become a sort of staple of modern conflict."


How ISWAP acquires drones

The insurgents' access to high-tech devices has largely been linked to their control over smuggling routes and arms trafficking networks, including looting and sourcing hardware within the country.

They also modify commercially available drones, specifically the quadcopter.

"ISWAP has proven to be highly adaptive, learning and evolving in response to state military strategies," Samuel Malik, who works with Good Governance Africa, told DW.

"Their shift toward incorporating drone technology mirrors broader global trends in warfare, where both state and non-state actors increasingly rely on unmanned systems for offensive and defensive operations."

Call to adapt a new strategy

Analysts say authorities must embrace a comprehensive new strategy that combines technological innovation, military preparedness, and coordination with neighboring countries.

"There is an urgent need for the deployment of systems capable of detecting, and neutralising hostile drones. Tools such as jamming devices, radar detection systems, and spoofing technologies can play a vital role in protecting military assets and civilian infrastructure from drone attacks," Malik said.

Taiwo Adebayo, who has been monitoring the war against Islamist insurgents for the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), suggested that the Nigerian state must strengthen its non-kinetic approach to counterterrorism and blocking the insurgents' supplies and disrupting their financing.

According to Foucher, ISWAP's latest use of drones to carry out attacks in the region is symbolic. "This new bout of armed drones is part of that [ISIS-ISWAP technological transfer]. I don't think it's a game-changer," Foucher said.

"It's very symbolic," the counterterrorism expert stressed, adding that it is rather proof that ISWAP is still very active.

Impact of Boko Haram insurgency

Since the Boko Haram insurgency erupted in the northeastern town of Maiduguri in July 2009, the terrorists have claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people and displaced over 2.3 million from their homes.

Adebayo noted that although the drones used by the terror group are still the commercially available ones modified for attacks, it still "challenges existing counterterrorism strategies.

"With aerial capabilities, ISWAP—if not quickly stopped—could conduct high-impact assaults while minimising their casualties. The group could turn military outposts and relatively secure civilian locations into potential targets. "For civilians, it would mean decreasing confidence in the state military, thereby inducing gravitation toward the insurgents.

"It's not just the guerilla warfare that we normally experience this time around; they are conducting two forms of attacks. One, looting. Most of the attacks recently are to loot local communities of their goods and properties, and attacking military bases," Ijasini Ijani, a resident, told DW.

By Abiodun Jamiu, DW

Attack leaves at least 40 people dead in Nigeria

Nigeria's president said on Monday that at least 40 people were killed when Muslim gunmen, believed to be herders, attacked a Christian farming community in the north-central part of the country, the latest in an increasing wave of violence in the West African country.

President Bola Tinubu also said he has ordered an investigation over the late Sunday night attack on the Zike community, extending his condolences to the victims and their families.

"I have instructed security agencies to thoroughly investigate this crisis and identify those responsible for orchestrating these violent acts," Tinubu said in a statement late Monday.

Amnesty International said the victims, who included children and the elderly, were taken by surprise and could not flee from the gunmen.

Such attacks have become common in this part of Africa's most populous country, where gunmen — typically herders from Fulani, a Muslim tribe — exploit security lapses to launch deadly raids on farmers in a fight over land resources.

According to Andy Yakubu, a local resident, gunmen in Sunday night's attack also destroyed and looted homes in the Zike community, located in the Bassa area of Plateau state.

Yakubu said he saw bodies after the attack and that the number of dead could exceed 50. No one has been arrested so far, he added.

The Fulani have been accused of carrying out mass killings across the northwest and central regions, where the decades-long conflict over access to land and water has further worsened the divisions between farmers and herders, Christians and Muslims.

Amnesty says that between December 2023 and February 2024, 1,336 people were killed in Plateau state — an indication that the measures taken by Tinubu's administration to curb the violence are not working.

Samuel Jugo, spokesperson of the Irigwe Development Association, an ethnic organization in the Bassa area, said in a statement on Monday that at least 75 people of the Irigwe, a Christian ethnic group, have been killed since December 2024.

Jugo said that despite deployment of additional security forces to the area, violence still occurs and described the latest assault as "very provocative, vexing and undeserving."

In May 2024, armed men attacked remote villages in Plateau, killing at least 40 people during a late-night raid.

The violence over land resources in north-central Nigeria is separate from the battles with Boko Haram, Nigeria's homegrown jihadis who took up arms in 2009 to fight Western education and impose their radical version of Islamic law. That conflict, now Africa's longest struggle with militancy, has also spilled into Nigeria's northern neighbors.

AP

Video - Boko Haram attacks on military formations concern Nigerian authorities

Boko Haram launched a wave of attacks on military bases in Nigeria's Borno State. Governor Babagana Zulum responded with a call for aggressive military action, warning the group may be regrouping and retaking territory. Officials said the renewed violence could derail efforts to resettle displaced residents.

CGTN

How Nigeria can stop rising 'jungle justice'

A stolen phone, a whispered accusation, and slowly, a crowd gathers. In minutes, the charges are read out to the suspect and "justice" is administered — not in a courtroom, but on the street.

Mob justice, often called "jungle justice" in Nigeria, is the act of a crowd taking the law into their own hands by punishing suspected criminals without giving them the right to defend themselves via judicial procedures.

Over the past decade, such violence in Nigeria has surged, fueled by distrust in law enforcement, economic hardship, and the rapid spread of misinformation.

"It's [mob justice] been a long time with us," said Frank Tietie, a Nigerian legal expert and Executive Director of Citizens for Social Economic Rights in Abuja.

"Where law enforcement agents are seen to be restricted only to capital cities or the various states or in the nation's capital, people tend to have a sense that the government is far away and they can do whatever they like," he said.

A case of mistaken identity

Recently, 16 hunters traveling from Port Harcourt to Kano were lynched in Edo State on mere suspicion of being bandits and kidnappers.

According to local reports, the victims were traveling back to their home in Kano after attending Muslim Eid al-Adha celebrations when local vigilantes stopped the vehicle they were in.

Upon searching, the vigilante members found homemade Dane guns used by the hunters. The discovery quickly attracted a crowd who concluded the travelers were criminals and burned them alive.

Their gruesome deaths have reignited debates on lawlessness, justice, and the failure of policing in Africa's most populous nation.

President Bola Tinubu and human rights groups condemned the incident, and Tinubu vowed to pursue those who perpetrated the act and bring them to justice.

Nigeria's constitution stipulates that under no circumstances should the life of any Nigerian be taken except in accordance with the provisions of the law, with the pronouncement of the judgment of a court.

Common scenarios that lead to vigilantism

Apart from petty theft, such as pickpocketing, stealing mobile phones, bicycles, or motorcycles, suspicions of witchcraft or child theft can lead to mob justice.

However, cases of false accusations, mainly driven by personal vendettas, such as business competition, have also been documented by Amnesty International.

As Nigeria is a deeply religious country with dozens of ethnic communities, tensions can easily trigger mob actions, particularly during periods of unrest or crisis.

"There are instances even in police stations the case will reach there, and you find people round the police station, they want to get the culprit out and set him ablaze," Ben Shemang, DW correspondent in Abuja, said.

Over the past decade, Amnesty International has documented at least 555 victims of mob violence in Nigeria.


How Nigeria can curb 'jungle justice'

To reverse the trend and end the vice, experts say the Nigerian government needs to intervene by increasing public awareness campaigns against mob violence.

There is also an urgent need for police reforms and human rights training.

"We should put more pressure on the national assembly to decentralize the police system," Frank Tietie said, adding that the federal-controlled police have become incompetent and corrupt.

"The hope is that when we have a decentralized police system, where various states and local governments can organize proper police for us, then we may have less issues of jungle justice and extra judicial killings as we had in Edo State," he said.

Additionally, there needs to be increased advocacy for justice reforms and promotion of peaceful conflict resolution, and most importantly, local communities and security agencies must emphasize collaboration to build mutual trust and responsiveness.

Josephine Mahachi, DW

Priest kidnapped and murdered

A Catholic priest has been kidnapped and murdered in the Diocese of Kafanchan, in Nigeria's Middle Belt.

Father Sylvester Okechukwu was taken from his residence on the evening of 4 March, according to a statement released by the diocese. He was found murdered in the early hours today, Wednesday, 5 March.

No reason has been given for his murder at the hands of his abductors.

A statement sent by the diocese to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) states: "The untimely and brutal loss has left us heartbroken and devastated.

"Father Sylvester was a dedicated servant of God, who worked selflessly in the vineyard of the Lord, spreading the message of peace, love and hope. He was always available and accessible to his parishioners.

"His untimely death has left an indelible void within our diocesan family, and we share in the pain of his passing with his family, friends and all those who knew and loved him."

The murder of Father Sylvester comes at a time when another two Nigerian priests - Fathers Matthew David Dutsemi and Abraham Saummam - are still missing, having been abducted on 22nd February in the Diocese of Yola.

This year, five priests and two religious sisters have been kidnapped in Nigeria.

In 2024, 13 priests were kidnapped in Nigeria, all of whom were eventually released.

Insecurity is rife in Nigeria, with Christians complaining about discrimination and persecution in many parts of the country, especially in the north. Besides inter-religious tensions, criminal gangs have kidnapped citizens who are then held for ransom.

ACN has joined the Catholic authorities of Nigeria in calling for prayers for the repose of Father Sylvester and also in their appeal to the government to increase security.

By Filipe d'Avillez, ICN

Nigeria bets on deradicalization program in North West

The Nigerian government said it is expanding its deradicalization program, Operation Safe Corridor, to the country's North West to tackle rising insecurity in the region. In Nigeria, the North West is a geopolitical zone comprising the states of Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara.

The North West has been locked in a decade-old conflict as criminal gangs, otherwise referred to as bandits, raid villages and run a large kidnap-for-ransom industry. They are known to sexually assault women, kill citizens, and tax locals across vast swaths of northern Nigeria.

Chief of Defence Operations Emeka Onumajuru, who represented General Christopher Musa, the chief of defence staff, said the deradicalization program is "vital to breaking the cycle of terrorism and banditry through a structured pathway for rehabilitation and reintegration" of bandits. The program has also been used to deradicalize former Boko Haram fighters in the North East zone.

Deradicalization efforts yield results in North East

So far, Nigerian officials say Operation Safe Corridor has been instrumental in the fight against insurgency in the North East. The program aimed to rehabilitate former insurgents who surrendered or defected, reintegrating about 2,190 repentant terrorists back into the society.

The initiative is built on five pillars, says Onumajuru. These are: disarmament, demobilization, deradicalization, rehabilitation, and reintegration.

While the program has been relatively successful in the North East region, concerns have been raised about recidivism, with reports of some rehabilitated individuals returning to terror groups.

Now with the intended expansion of the program to the North West, analysts have raised questions about Operation Safe Corridor's effectiveness. This is because the banditry in North West is largely driven by financial incentives like ransom payments, cattle rustling, and illegal mining, rather than ideology.

Can Operation Safe Corridor repeat successes?

Samuel Malik, a senior researcher at the pan-African think tank Good Governance Africa, believes the replicating the program is not inherently flawed. He says only "kinetic responses" that involve aggressive measures, often with military action, cannot solve Nigeria's security challenges.

But Samuel Malik adds the program can only succeed in the North West "if it is properly structured, monitored, and adapted to local realities, rather than being a rushed initiative."

"Deradicalization is effective when dealing with individuals who have been indoctrinated into violent extremist ideologies, but most bandits in the North West have explicitly rejected jihadist agendas," Samuel Malik said.

Oluwole Ojewale, an analyst with Dakar-based Institute for Security Studies, said the problem with "Safe Corridor" is that it was developed for terror groups who share extreme views.

"If what the government wants to do is demobilization, it is quite in order. But they cannot afford to copy and paste what they did in the North East and replicate the same in the North West," he told DW.

Deep-rooted problems remain

Critics of Operation Safe Corridor have said the program is perpetrator-centered and risks being seen as a reward system for terrorists.

Dengiyefa Angalapu, a counterterrorism and peacebuilding researcher, said this argument is reductionist. He told DW the initiative can be implemented in the North West as there are multiple actors in the region, including ideological terror groups, which often get generalized under the catchphrase of banditry.

Dengiyefa added that the deep-rooted grievances among herders prompt some to take up arms and make the initiative suitable for the region.

"Kinetic strategy alone cannot lead to a decline in terrorism. This is an initiative that should be expanded to other parts of the country to provide a national framework for countering terrorism," he told DW.

The analysts seem in agreement that this strategy should involve local peacebuilding mechanisms and economic empowerment to prevent relapse.

"While certain elements of the initiative such as psychological support, vocational training, and community reintegration remain crucial, the government should prioritize economic reintegration, conflict resolution, and mechanisms that prevent re-engagement in criminal activities," Samuel said.

By Abiodun Jamiu, DW

At least 20 Nigerian soldiers killed in attack on remote army base

At least 20 Nigerian soldiers have been reportedly killed in a suspected attack by fighters from the ISIL affiliate in West Africa Province (ISWAP).

The attackers targeted an army base in the remote Malam-Fatori town in the northeastern Borno state on Friday, with a surviving soldier saying the attack lasted for more than three hours.

Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters mainly operate in Borno and have attacked both security forces and civilians, killing and displacing tens of thousands of people.

Reuters news agency, citing security sources and residents, on Sunday said a commanding officer was among those killed after ISWAP members arrived on gun trucks and attacked the Nigerian Army’s 149th Battalion in Malam-Fatori, gateway to the border with Niger.

“They rained bullets everywhere,” one of the surviving soldiers told Reuters by phone, adding that the troops were taken by surprise.

“We tried so much to repel the attacks and after more than three hours of gun duel, they overpowered us, killing our commanding officer, a lieutenant colonel,” the soldier said, declining to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

He said 20 soldiers died while several were injured.

Residents who left the town said some of the attackers were seen in Malam-Fatori as late as Saturday night.

Malakaka Bukar, a member of the local militia recruited to help the army, said the fighters also burned buildings, forcing some residents to flee the town.

“They preached to some of the residents,” said Bukar.

ISWAP split from the mainstream Boko Haram in 2016 to become the dominant armed faction in northeastern Nigeria.

Although weakened by military assaults and internal fighting over the years, Boko Haram and ISWAP have stepped up attacks in Borno since the turn of the year, killing dozens of farmers and fishermen in a series of raids.

The 15-year-old conflict has killed nearly 40,000 people and displaced around two million from their homes in the northeast.

The violence spilled into neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, leading to the creation of a regional force to fight the armed groups.

Al Jazeera

UN seeks $910 million for humanitarian crisis in Nigeria

The United Nations will this week appeal for $910 million to help tackle a humanitarian crisis in northeastern Nigeria, which has been in the grip of an Islamist insurgency since 2009 and was hit by flooding last year, documents showed on Wednesday.

The UN documents seen by Reuters showed that 7.8 million people need help in the three northeastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, and the UN aims to help 3.6 million of them.

At $910 million, it is the most expensive humanitarian crisis in West and Central Africa, ahead of Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, the documents showed.

Nigeria is also grappling with a cost of living crisis that has seen inflation accelerate to its highest level in nearly three decades, propelled by skyrocketing food prices.

The UN has previously said Nigeria's northeast risks becoming a forgotten crisis as the humanitarian focus has shifted to crises elsewhere such as Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan.

A joint report by the government and UN in November said Nigeria faces one of its worst hunger crises with more than 30 million people expected to be food-insecure this year.

President Bola Tinubu's economic reforms, including scrapping a fuel subsidy and foreign exchange controls, have been blamed for worsening Nigeria's economic troubles. He says the reforms will put the economy on a stronger path to growth.

By Ope Adetayo, Reuters

Video - Nigeria seeks UN intervention to beat insurgencies

Nigerian authorities want an investigation into foreign funding that may be sustaining militant groups. The groups often finance their operations through ransom kidnappings and looting.

CGTN

Gunmen kidnap at least 50 in Nigeria's Zamfara state

A gang of gunmen kidnapped more than 50 women and children in a raid on Kakin Dawa village in Nigeria's northwest Zamfara state, police and residents said.

Kidnapping for ransom by gunmen, known by locals as bandits, is rife in northwest Nigeria due to high levels of poverty, unemployment and the proliferation of illegal firearms.

Zamfara police said the incident took place on Sunday and that additional security forces were being deployed to the area.

Residents said dozens of assailants riding on motorcycles arrived in the village at around 1230 GMT, armed with assault rifles, and went from house to house kidnapping residents.

"Later we found out that they kidnapped more than 50 women, including married women and girls," said Hassan Ya'u, who escaped the attack but whose younger sister was taken.

"We are appealing to the federal and Zamfara state governments to send more soldiers and security personnel to fight those bandits," he said.

There is widespread insecurity in northwest Nigeria, while a 15-year Islamist insurgency has plagued the northeast of the country and gang and separatist violence affects the southeast.

"We are currently waiting to hear the kidnappers' demands for the release of the abducted individuals," said Abdulkadir Sadia, another resident of the village. "The entire community is in distress." 

By Ahmed Kingimi, Reuters

Suspected bandits lay explosives on Nigerian road, causing damage

A gang of armed men planted explosives along the Dansadau-Gusau road in northwest Nigeria's Zamfara state, causing significant damage and casualties, a military spokesperson and witnesses said on Wednesday.

Armed gangs in northwest Nigeria, known by locals as bandits, have escalated their attacks, resorting to a dangerous new tactic of planting explosives on major highways to target civilians and security forces.

Witnesses Bello Dansadau and Abubakar Ismail told Reuters at least 12 travellers were killed and six others wounded after their vehicle ran over an explosive on the road.

Joint Task Force spokesperson Abubakar Abdullahi said in a statement that the military had deployed an explosive ordnance disposal team to the area to neutralize any remaining explosives. He did not say how many people had been killed.

Abdullahi said a JTF unit is working closely with local authorities to investigate the attack and apprehend the perpetrators.

"We urge the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities," he said.

Bandits in northwest Nigeria have frequently raided communities, killing and kidnapping residents, farmers, students and motorists for ransom. 

By Camillus Eboh, Reuters