Terrorists kill more than 20 people in northwest Nigeria | Crime Stories

The violence marks an escalation of violence as armed insurgents continue to attack villages in northwest and central Nigeria.

At least 20 people have been killed in northwest Nigeria by terrorists who attacked villages in Zamfara state, according to reports from the AFP news agency.

“Today, between 3pm (14:00 GMT) and 4pm (15:00 GMT), many bandits have entered our communities, targeting all the people they meet,” Nasiru Lauwali, representative of Sauna district in Talata Mafara district, told AFP on Wednesday.

The threats come amid escalating violence in northwest and central Nigeria, where insurgents or bandits have seized villages in recent weeks. They are accused of stealing livestock and kidnapping people for ransom.

Late on Tuesday, at least three suspected robbers were killed by security forces in the country’s Kwara state, according to Nigerian news website The Punch. The media said that the security forces managed to rescue the businessman, Tuhkur Sanni.

Kidnapping is rampant in Nigeria, as armed groups seek large ransoms from the government and citizens.

The situation has worsened due to the security crisis, caused by the Boko Haram insurgency in the north-east of the country. In 2024, attackers received more than $1.6m in ransom payments, according to SBM Intelligence.

Many students and teachers were he was rescued earlier this month56 days after he was robbed in three schools in the southwest of Oyo state.

Eight of the suspected robbers were arrested and an undisclosed number were killed, according to a statement issued by President Bola Tinubu.

Defense Minister Christopher Musa said the people are planning to use the hostages as a way to force the government to release some of their officials from prison.