Gunmen Kill At Least 38 in Northwest Nigeria Village

People pray beside the bodies of victims of an attack by gunmen before their burial in the Woro community in Nigeria’s Kwara State on 4 February 2026.

Armed attackers killed at least 38 people in a remote village in northwestern Nigeria, authorities said, in one of the latest bouts of deadly violence to hit the region.

The assault took place overnight from Thursday to Friday in Dutse Dan Ajiya, a village in Zamfara State with limited access routes, according to police spokesperson Yazid Abubakar, who later said security had been restored.

Local legislator Hamisu Faru put the death toll higher, at about 50. He said the attackers emerged from the Gando forest, surrounded the village, and opened indiscriminate fire on residents, killing many as they attempted to flee.

Armed gangs, commonly referred to as “bandits,” operate from forest bases spanning Zamfara and neighbouring states including Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Niger, launching frequent raids on rural communities.

The Nigerian military has maintained a presence in the region for years, but attacks and kidnappings persist, underscoring the difficulty of securing vast, sparsely populated areas.

Recent months have also seen increased violence by jihadist groups and criminal gangs across northern Nigeria, drawing concern from the United States. Washington has described some of the violence as religious persecution and, in coordination with Nigerian authorities, conducted surprise airstrikes on Christmas Day in Sokoto State.

Nigeria has faced a broader insurgency since 2009, led mainly by Boko Haram and its rival faction, Islamic State West Africa Province. The conflict in the northeast alone has left more than 40,000 people dead and displaced around two million others, according to the United Nations.