At least 15 people have been killed following a gunmen attack on a farming community in Talata Mafara area of Zamfara State, northwestern Nigeria, on Friday, according to an official statement reported over the week-end in Abuja, Nigeria.
The assault occurred in a region long affected by recurring violence, with no group yet claiming responsibility. A lawmaker, Abdullaziz Yari, described the incident as a “terrorist attack,” while local government chairman Yahaya Yari made an emotional appeal during a funeral held on Friday evening, calling on President Bola Tinubu and the Defence Ministry to intervene decisively.
The attack comes amid a continuing pattern of violence in Zamfara State. Earlier this month, gunmen killed 17 farmers and injured at least 13 others while they worked in their fields in Goron Namaye, also within the state.
Nigeria continues to face a broader insurgency across its northern region, where armed gangs are involved in kidnappings for ransom, extortion of farming communities, and illegal mining. The crisis has reportedly killed thousands and displaced millions over the years, according to the United Nations.
Despite repeated security commitments by the administration of President Bola Tinubu, the violence persists. The government entered a military cooperation agreement with the United States last year following international debate over insecurity in the country.
A file image referenced in the report shows President Bola Tinubu alongside Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the Planalto presidential palace in Brasília on Monday, August 25, 2025.