Armed looters and kidnapping groups described by the Nigerian government as “bandits” have left communities in shock as casualties mounted. A helicopter attack in the region resulted in the death of 32 people, with local outlets reporting the incident on Sunday and continuing to search for additional victims in the aftermath. The Adara community, located in southern Kaduna State in central-north Nigeria, has been deeply affected by the violence, according to local media reports.
Awemi Maisamari, national head of the Adara Development Association, asserted that Fulani herders coordinated with on-the-ground assailants to launch the attack. He noted that attackers arrived aboard around 150 motorcycles, each carrying three gunmen, as reported by the Daily Post. The death toll was confirmed as 32 on Wednesday, with villagers continuing to comb nearby brush for more bodies. Some corpses were found decomposed in the early hours of the morning, and the area has suffered extensive destruction.
A statement from the national coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, represented by the Nigerian Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA), criticized the military hierarchy for what they described as slow action against armed groups terrorizing the northwest region. The group pointed to a disconnect between condemnations issued by the Nigerian Army and Air Force and the reality on the ground, arguing that inaction from authorities encourages the militias to escalate. They highlighted the use of more sophisticated weapons, including an attack helicopter, and warned that the killings in Adara were entirely preventable if intelligence and warnings had been acted upon in time.
“Bandits” kidnapped more than 80 people in Katsina
In Katsina, reports indicate that more than 80 civilians were abducted, with attackers setting fire to barns and shops in the village of Kwari. Local residents, numbering in the thousands, fled to safety in a nearby primary school in the city of Jibiya. Eyewitness accounts describe the attackers moving in force at around 17:30 local time, then occupying the town, firing sporadically and burning structures as they went. The incident was documented by the Hausa language service of the BBC and reported by Vanguard on the following day.
One woman recounted the fear and disarray, describing how many men, women, and children were seized and taken into forested areas. A count later indicated that as many as 80 people had been abducted, including a Fulani woman who was pregnant. Descriptions from the community emphasized a plea for help as families searched for missing relatives and wondered about the fate of wives and children.
The broader security crisis in Kaduna continues to take a heavy toll. Across the three months, fatalities, injuries, and displacement have afflicted the region, prompting officials to declare the bandits a terrorist threat to facilitate security operations. The pattern of violence remains consistent: armed groups ride into towns on motorcycles, open fire on civilians, abduct survivors, and quickly retreat before authorities can respond. These bandits are also linked to broader inter-communal clashes that have long destabilized parts of the northwest and central regions, complicating efforts to restore order in Zamfara and nearby areas.
A May briefing from the provincial governor Nasir al-Rufai highlighted the scale of abductions and sexual violence, noting hundreds of incidents in the early months of the year. The report documented a substantial number of abductions in Kaduna Central, underscoring the pervasive risk faced by residents and the ongoing challenge for security forces to curb the violence and protect vulnerable communities.