Nigeria: Islamist attacks kill at least 33

Nigeria’s fight against terrorism has seemingly been undermined once again as Islamists kill at least 33 people in separate attacks in the country’s northwest, according to Africa News via AP on February 20th.

The attacks occurred in Kebbi State’s Biu community on February 18th; police spokesman Bashir Usman stated, “Preliminary investigations confirm that armed Lakurawa militants entered the area to rustle cattle,” a common practice of the group.

Reportedly, Lakurawa militants crossed into Kebbi State from Sokoto State, which is a stronghold of the Islamist insurgency group and has previously experienced violence from the Nigerian military.

Lakurawa primarily operates in northwestern Nigeria but originated in the Sahel. The group conducts raids on villages and kidnappings for ransom, which jihadists sometimes call “economic jihad” and use to fund their activities.

News of the Kebbi State attack comes days after it was reported that US troops had been deployed to Nigeria to fight jihadist violence in coordination with the Nigerian government.

It is possible that the presence of US troops is tied to US President Donald Trump’s claims that jihadists are perpetrating a “Christian genocide” in Nigeria, despite there being no clear evidence of widespread Christian persecution.

Nigeria has faced escalating violence from jihadist organisations and armed criminal groups in recent years, although much of the violence perpetrated by Islamist militants is concentrated in the northeast.

Boko Haram and its offshoot, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), are particularly active in the northeastern Borno State, where rising jihadist violence has forced over 5,000 civilians to seek refuge in neighbouring Cameroon.

The groups are affiliated with the Islamic State, and despite ISWAP breaking away from Boko Haram in 2016, both organisations share an aim of establishing an Islamic Caliphate in Africa.

Jihadist violence is not limited to Nigeria, as West Africa and the Sahel region have increasingly become a global epicentre for terrorism perpetrated by Islamic State-affiliated organisations.

In 2024, the UN warned that the Islamic State’s influence was growing in Africa, particularly in areas where ethnic and regional disputes are present.

Nigeria’s population comprises more than 250 ethnic groups, and the government has faced criticism for its lack of ethnic diversity, with President Bola Tinubu accused of consolidating power within his Yoruba group.

Africa News via AP, Maghrebi.org