Gunmen killed dozens and kidnapped women and children in a brutal overnight assault on a village in Zamfara state in northwestern Nigeria on Thursday, February 19, 2026, intensifying a wave of violence that has taken more than a hundred lives across the country’s troubled northern region in recent weeks.
State police spokesperson Yazid Abubakar stated on Monday, February 23, that 38 people were killed in Tungan Duste, a village in the Anka local government area. Although authorities had advance intelligence about the looming attack, police were unable to reach the isolated community because of poor access roads.
“By the time we have our way, the assailants have invaded the community and killed 38 while also abducting many residents,” Abubakar told The Associated Press.
Authorities are currently working to identify the women and children taken during the raid, which started around 5 p.m. Thursday and continued until about 3:30 a.m. Friday. The attackers arrived on motorcycles, set homes and shops ablaze, shot at residents attempting to flee, and carried out mass abductions before escaping into the night.
Villagers had noticed troubling signs before the attack. Abdullahi Sani, 41, said residents alerted security forces and local officials after witnessing more than 150 motorcycles carrying armed men approaching the area a day earlier, but no action was taken. Three members of his family were among those killed.
The Zamfara incident is just one part of Nigeria’s widening security emergency. In neighboring Kebbi state, 33 people were killed in coordinated assaults last week. Lawmaker Hamisu A Faru, who represents Bukkuyum South, said armed groups are moving through multiple villages, leaving destruction behind. At least 46 deaths were recorded in raids in Niger State’s Borgu region last week, with the worst attack in Konkoso village, where 38 people were either shot or had their throats slit. Earlier this month, jihadists killed over 160 people in Woro village in Kwara State.
The violence has sparked widespread international condemnation. The African Union denounced the attack on Sunday and demanded the immediate release of all abducted women and children.
The growing instability has also attracted more global involvement. The United States recently deployed 100 soldiers to Nigeria to help train and advise the military on tackling insecurity. The team arrived at Bauchi Airfield and will offer technical assistance and intelligence support under Nigerian command, according to Defence Headquarters spokesperson Samaila Uba.
The deployment follows President Donald Trump’s claims that Nigeria has not stopped the killing of Christians and his warnings of potential military action. On December 25, the United States launched airstrikes on Islamic State-linked sites in northern Sokoto state, in coordination with Nigerian authorities.
Northern and northwestern Nigeria have become a hotspot for numerous armed groups acting with expanding confidence. Bandit gangs carry out kidnappings and raids for ransom. Islamist militants, including Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province, continue deadly operations. The IS-affiliated Lakurawa faction has also extended its activities in Sokoto and Kebbi states. Clashes over land between herders and farmers and separatist tensions further complicate the security landscape.
The pattern of violence shows a clear tactic: large groups of armed men arrive on motorcycles, target villages with little protection, and attack in overwhelming numbers. Remote communities and poor road conditions often prevent security forces from responding quickly, even when alerted beforehand.
President Bola Tinubu has sent additional troops to affected regions, but the bloodshed persists. Critics argue that Nigeria’s security institutions remain overstretched, underfunded, and struggling to protect civilians across the country’s vast territory. Community and religious leaders from the Borgu region have urged Tinubu to establish a permanent military base to stop recurring assaults.
For residents of Zamfara and neighboring states, the danger has become part of daily life. Families flee their long-standing homes, farmers abandon their land, and children are kept out of school as entire villages empty in fear. The emotional trauma adds to the physical destruction, leaving survivors deeply shaken and unsure of what lies ahead.
As authorities attempt to uncover the full impact of Thursday’s attack in Tungan Duste, including the number of abducted residents, families endure a painful wait for updates on their missing loved ones. The tragedy highlights the urgent need for Nigeria to confront its worsening security crisis before more communities fall prey to armed groups operating with little resistance.
