Nigerian security forces have killed at least 30 suspected gunmen during a large-scale operation launched in response to a series of violent assaults on rural communities in the country’s volatile northwest, officials confirmed on Thursday.
The deadly confrontation happened on Wednesday, following coordinated attacks the previous evening in several villages, according to a statement by Nasir Mua’zu, the State Commissioner for Home Affairs.
Mua’zu reported that the joint effort by military troops and police officers resulted in the deaths of three policemen and two soldiers during the fierce firefight.
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“We are working tirelessly with federal security agencies to ensure the safety of all citizens,” he said.
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The northwest and north-central regions of Nigeria have experienced a steady surge in attacks in recent months, as heavily armed gangs, commonly referred to as bandits, target isolated villages and travelers. The violent groups often raid entire communities, killing residents and abducting others for ransom.
Many of these bandit groups are composed of disaffected former herders engaged in long-standing clashes with settled farming communities. Their presence is especially strong in mineral-rich areas where Nigeria’s security infrastructure is stretched thin.
In the vast rural stretches of the northwest, the lack of government control has allowed dozens of armed factions to flourish. Beyond the killings and abductions, some groups have established quasi-control over territories, taxing residents and launching raids at will.
Kidnappings have also become a major funding source for these gangs, who use ransom payments to fuel further violence and expand their influence.
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Meanwhile, Nigeria continues to face a separate security crisis in its northeast, where a long-running insurgency has claimed the lives of approximately 35,000 people and displaced over 2 million, according to U.N. estimates.
