At least 25 people have died in two coordinated jihadist assaults on villages in Adamawa State, northeastern Nigeria, local officials and residents have said.
The incidents occurred on Tuesday evening in the border area with Cameroon, where militant groups linked to Boko Haram and its splinter factions remain active. One attack struck the town of Madagali, where gunmen on many motorcycles opened fire on civilians and later looted the local market, officials told the AFP news agency.
“Gunmen, we believed to be Boko Haram… attacked the market. They opened fire on people and killed 21,” an anonymous local government official said, adding that searches were ongoing for others who may have died while fleeing into nearby bushland.
A second attack in the neighbouring town of Hong claimed four more lives, including three soldiers and a woman, according to resident Ezekiel Musa. He said security forces were now stationed in the town, but many families were already leaving in fear of further violence.
Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri condemned the assaults as “senseless attacks” and vowed that efforts to restore peace and stability in the region would continue.
The northeast — centre of a protracted insurgency by Boko Haram and associated groups since 2009 — has seen persistent insecurity despite military operations, with thousands killed and millions displaced over the years.
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