Violence continues to sweep across Nigeria

By Nathan Morley

At least 13 people were killed Friday in an attack on a community market in Benue State in north‑central Nigeria, the latest in a series of assaults on rural areas.

Gunmen targeted the Anwase Market in Mbaikyor, in the Kwande Local Government Area, where they also abducted women and set stalls on fire. Witnesses said the attackers stormed the market at its busiest period, emerging from a nearby mountain and firing into the air before torching parts of the site.

The incident came two days after a separate attack on the Abande community that left at least 17 people dead, heightening fears over worsening insecurity in the region. 

Residents have repeatedly urged state and federal authorities to step up security operations and protect rural settlements from recurring violence.

Earlier this month, armed groups attacked two villages in Kwara State on February 3, with the death toll expected to rise as more bodies are recovered. 

Many victims were reportedly shot at close range, and homes and shops were burned, forcing residents to flee into surrounding bushland.

The surge in attacks has contributed to a deepening humanitarian crisis across Nigeria’s northwest and north‑central regions, where escalating violence has driven mass displacement and increased hunger and malnutrition.