At least 20 people have been killed in an attack by suspected terrorists in northwest Nigeria, according to a confidential security report prepared for the United Nations and cited on 14 June 2026.
The report indicates that militants linked to the Lakurawa group raided the Fesken Rafi community in the Arewa district of Kebbi State, close to the border with Niger, killing more than 20 residents. The exact date of the attack was not immediately confirmed, though local sources suggest it occurred several days earlier and was only publicly reported following a visit by the state deputy Governor.
Authorities say the motive for the assault remains unclear. However, the region has seen a rise in violent activity involving terrorist groups and armed criminal gangs, often referred to as bandits, who have been targeting farming communities and imposing levies on residents.
The Lakurawa group has reportedly remained active along the Nigeria–Niger border despite ongoing security operations aimed at dislodging them from Kebbi State. Security assessments warn that the group’s multinational composition could increase the risk of it evolving into a broader transnational threat, complicating counterterrorism efforts.
The attack forms part of a wider pattern of violence in northern and central Nigeria, where terrorism and armed banditry have contributed to widespread fatalities and mass displacement over recent years.