ABUJA, Nigeria – Gunmen killed at least 15 people during an attack on a farming community in northwestern Nigeria’s Zamfara State on Friday, according to local officials, in the latest episode of violence affecting the region.
The assault occurred in the Talata Mafara area, an area that has repeatedly experienced attacks linked to armed groups operating across northwestern Nigeria. No organization had claimed responsibility for the attack as of Saturday.
Abdullaziz Yari, the federal lawmaker representing the district, described the incident as a “terrorist attack” in a statement posted on social media.
Local Officials Appeal for Federal Intervention
Following the attack, Yahaya Yari, the elected chairman of the local government overseeing Talata Mafara, attended the victims’ funeral and publicly appealed to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and the country’s junior defense minister to strengthen efforts to restore security in the area.
In a widely shared video recorded during the funeral on Friday, the local official urged the federal government to take decisive action to end the recurring killings affecting communities across Zamfara State.
Violence Continues Across Zamfara State
The latest attack comes only weeks after another deadly assault in Goron Namaye, also in Zamfara State, where gunmen killed 17 farmers and injured at least 13 others while they were working in their fields.
Zamfara has remained one of Nigeria’s most violence-affected states, with farming communities frequently targeted by heavily armed criminal groups.
Long-Running Security Crisis
According to the United Nations, the broader insurgency and armed violence in northern Nigeria have killed thousands of people and displaced millions over the years.
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Authorities have also faced persistent attacks by armed gangs involved in kidnapping for ransom, illegal mining and extortion of rural farming communities across Nigeria’s northwest and north-central regions.
Although President Bola Tinubu’s administration has repeatedly pledged to improve security and reduce violence, attacks have continued in several parts of the country.
International Cooperation on Security
Last year, Nigeria signed a military cooperation agreement with the United States following diplomatic tensions over comments by U.S. officials describing violence in the country as a “Christian genocide.”
Nigeria’s government rejected that characterization. Analysts cited in the source material said the country’s security crisis is more complex, noting that victims of armed attacks come from different religious communities rather than being targeted solely because of their faith.
Nigeria has a predominantly Muslim population in the north and a largely Christian population in the south.
Tags: Nigeria, Zamfara State, Talata Mafara, Bola Tinubu, Armed Attack, Terrorism, Security, Farmers, Insurgency, Kidnapping, United Nations, West Africa
