Nigeria entered the new year amid sustained insecurity across multiple regions, with coordinated attacks, mass killings, military ambushes, and kidnappings recorded between late December and the first week of January. The incidents underscore persistent weaknesses in rural security and the expanding geographical spread of armed violence.
In Kaduna State, bandits attacked a community in Lere Local Government Area on December 29, killing at least three residents and abducting three others during a late-night raid. Local sources reported that the attackers operated for several hours before withdrawing. Community leaders in southern Kaduna say more than 160 villages in the area have been affected by years of banditry and forced displacement.
Security authorities later announced the arrest of 39 suspects, said to have relocated from forest reserves in Sokoto State into neighbouring areas. Officials described the arrests as a preventive action to curb spillover by armed groups displaced by recent counterterrorism operations in the northwest.
In Kogi State, gunmen attacked the Omi-Arab community in Yagba West Local Government Area on December 31. Residents reported gunfire and overnight abductions. While casualties were not immediately confirmed, the incident adds to a growing pattern of kidnappings along the Yagba axis, an area increasingly described by security sources as an emerging corridor for extremist infiltration.
The deadliest attack of the period occurred in Niger State, where gunmen stormed Kaswan Daji Market in Borgu Local Government Area on January 4. Police confirmed that at least 30 people were killed, with market stalls and homes set ablaze. Local residents said some abducted persons may include schoolgirls previously released after negotiations. Federal authorities ordered intensified manhunts following the attack, which ranks among the most severe in the state in recent months.
In the northeast, a Nigerian military convoy travelling from Maiduguri to Damasak was ambushed in Mobbar Local Government Area of Borno State after striking a landmine. At least nine soldiers were reported killed, while five others sustained serious injuries. Militants reportedly opened fire after the explosion, destroying armoured vehicles. The attack points to renewed insurgent capability despite ongoing military operations in the region.
Elsewhere, joint security operations across Plateau, Zamfara, Kogi, and Borno States reportedly led to the neutralisation of suspected terrorists, the rescue of abducted victims, and the arrest of logistics suppliers. In Adamawa State, explosive devices were recovered without casualties, while Bayelsa State recorded river piracy incidents that left at least two passengers dead along the Nun River. In Oyo State, mob violence in Ibadan resulted in the lynching of three individuals following false accusations of theft, highlighting the growing risks of vigilantism.
Beyond Nigeria, insecurity persisted across parts of Africa. In eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, suspected Allied Democratic Forces fighters killed at least 15 civilians in Ituri Province. In Sudan’s Darfur region, renewed militia attacks reportedly claimed more than 100 civilian lives in one week, exacerbating displacement and food shortages. A migrant boat capsized off the coast of The Gambia, leaving about 40 people feared dead or missing.
Globally, the Russia-Ukraine war continued into the new year with renewed strikes and counter-claims of drone attacks, while Iran witnessed widespread protests across more than 100 cities, raising questions about internal stability. Developments in Venezuela also drew international attention amid escalating legal and diplomatic tensions.
Security analysts note a recurring pattern across many of these incidents: rural communities remain the most exposed, with armed groups exploiting weak state presence, economic hardship, and porous terrain. As the year begins, the scale and spread of violence point to a complex security environment requiring sustained, coordinated responses at both national and regional levels.
