Sixteen people were killed on Saturday evening during clashes between local security forces and suspected Lakurawa militants who raided villages in Kebbi state, police and residents reported on Monday.
The attack took place in the villages of Tungan Taura and Tungan Ladan, where militants reportedly stole an unspecified number of cattle. During the ensuing confrontation, which broke out as the gunmen attempted to flee, the exchange of fire left 16 individuals dead, according to Kebbi police spokesperson Nafiu Abubakar.
Authorities have since deployed additional tactical units to track down and apprehend the perpetrators. One local resident, Abubakar Augie, confirmed that the militants had raided the area and, when villagers gathered in large numbers to intervene, opened fire.
The Lakurawa group, which emerged from herding communities along the Nigeria-Niger border following the July 2023 coup in Niger, was declared a terrorist organization by a Nigerian federal court in January—a designation that enables the military to use maximum force against it. Meanwhile, Nigeria continues to grapple with a long-running insurgency in the northeast, predominantly fueled by Boko Haram and its offshoot, Islamic State West Africa Province.