Nigeria: Gunmen kill at least 46 people in village attacks
At least 46 people have been killed across three villages in central Nigeria, potentially signalling an escalation in violence throughout the country, as reported by Africa News and AFP on February 15th.
The attacks occurred on February 14th when motorcycle-riding gunmen targeted villages in the Niger State, where the victims were either shot dead or had their throats cut; one of the worst attacks was in Konkoso, where at least 38 people were killed, before the village was set ablaze.
Reportedly, the villages are part of the Borgu local government area, which borders Kwara State, where gunmen killed at least 162 people on February 3rd.
It is unclear if jihadist militants are responsible for the attacks; however, the Nigerian government has blamed groups like Boko Haram and its offshoot, the Islamic State in Western Province (ISWAP), for perpetrating kidnappings in north-west and central Nigeria.
Both groups are affiliated with the Islamic State and seek to destabilise the government in order to establish an Islamic Caliphate in Nigeria, which would be governed by Sharia Law.
Additionally, the al-Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which is primarily active in Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, has a presence in Nigeria.
Jihadist groups are particularly active in the north-eastern Borno State, where their presence has essentially turned some towns into militarised zones.
As of October 2025, at least 5,000 people have fled north-eastern Nigeria to neighbouring Cameroon, which has also faced violence from Islamist militants on its border.
It was reported on February 11th that the US had deployed 200 troops to Nigeria to fight jihadist violence in coordination with the Nigerian government.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly accused jihadists of perpetrating a “Christian genocide” in Nigeria, despite independent analysts and human rights organisations finding no evidence of widespread Christian persecution.
Despite claiming to support Nigeria’s fight against extremism, the US has cut humanitarian aid to the country, which the World Food Program has warned will push desperate people towards jihadist groups for food and protection.
Conflicts between the Nigerian state and jihadist insurgencies, along with conflicts between rival Islamist groups, have killed at least 40,000 people in Nigeria, while an estimated 2 million people have been displaced.
Africa News and AFP, Maghrebi.org
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