Armed attackers kill more than 20 in northwest Nigeria

The attacks reflect a surge in violence as armed gangs continue raiding villages in northwest and central Nigeria.Published On 23 Jul 202623 Jul 2026At least 20 people have been killed in northwest Nigeria after armed gang members attacked villages in Zamfara State, according to the AFP news agency.“Today, between 3pm [14:00 GMT] and 4pm [15:00 GMT], a large number of bandits have invaded our communities, targeting all the people they meet,” Nasiru Lauwali, the representative of the Sauna district in the local government zone of Talata Mafara, told AFP on Wednesday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3US House passes $1.15 trillion military bill expanding Israel cooperationlist 2 of 3Why Abderrahim Fakir’s death reignited Italy’s police accountability debatelist 3 of 3EU pauses methane penalties amid energy crisis, US pressureend of listThe attacks come amid increasing violence in northwest and central Nigeria, where armed gangs or bandits have raided villages in recent weeks. They are accused of stealing livestock and kidnapping residents for ransom.Late on Tuesday, at least three suspected bandits were killed by security forces in the country’s Kwara State, according to ...