One week, many casualties: Army general killed, pupils abducted as Nigeria’s insecurity escalates

In a single harrowing week, Nigeria’s heartland was plunged into sorrow and fear as violence struck with brutal force from all possible angles – ambush, abduction, and attack.

From the serene evening worship disrupted by gunfire in Kwara to the brutal execution of a frontline commander in Borno and the chilling abductions of schoolchildren and civilians across the north-west, these events weave a grim tapestry of insecurity and loss that continues to deepen.

FRONTLINE COMMANDER KILLED BY ISWAP 

Last week Friday, in the volatile fringes of Damboa Road along Wajiroko in Borno, the fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) ambushed a convoy of soldiers and operatives of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) led by M. Uba, a brigadier general.

Some soldiers and CJTF members were said to have lost their lives in that encounter, including some of the insurgents. Uba, the commander of the 25 task force brigade, was captured alive and executed chillingly.

President Bola Tinubu mourned the brigadier general and other soldiers who died in the attack.

“As the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, I am depressed with the tragic death of our soldiers and officers on active duty. May God comfort the families of Brigadier General Musa Uba and other fallen heroes,” the president said.

WOMEN, CHILDREN ABDUCTED IN ZAMFARA

On Saturday, terrorists struck Fegin Baza village in Tsafe LGA of Zamfara state, killing three, including Umaru Moriki, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Sarkin Fadan Moriki, and abducting at least 64 civilians, among them women and children.

The attackers, said to be over 30 on motorbikes, ambushed motorists on the Gusau-Funtua road shortly after the convoy of the state commissioner of police passed by. Survivors described a terrifying 15-minute operation where gunfire erupted from all directions, forcing many to flee into the bush.

Some abductees were later released after ransom payments, but the majority remain in captivity.

Later that night, another bandit group invaded the outskirts of Gusau, the state capital, abducting residents near the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) station and the Bulunku area, spreading fear and uncertainty.

NIGHTMARE RETURNS: ABDUCTION OF SCHOOLGIRLS IN KEBBI

On Monday, the nightmare of schoolchildren’s abduction returned to Kebbi state. At dawn, gunmen scaled the perimeter fence of Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga town in Danko/Wasagu LGA, seizing 25 terrified girls, some as young as 13.

Hassan Makuku, one of the school officials, was gunned down, his body left as a grim warning.

One of the girls escaped and safely returned to her parents. Kebbi’s porous borders, once a smuggling corridor, have become a bandit highway, making the state rife with abductions. Despite continued search efforts by security operatives, local hunters, and vigilantes, 24 girls remain missing.

THE KWARA CHURCH ATTACK

On a quiet Tuesday evening, as the congregation of Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in Eruku community, a boundary town in the Ekiti LGA of Kwara state, gathered in humble worship, their prayers were violently interrupted.

In a viral video of the attack, captured during a live stream, bandits stormed the sanctuary, shattering the fragile peace with gunfire that left at least three dead. The lead pastor, along with an unknown number of members, was abducted.

Benjamin Ayeoribe, a leader in the community, said Eruku has been under banditry attacks in the last three weeks, adding that distress calls to security authorities have yielded no results.

OTHER ATTACKS ACROSS THE NORTH-WEST, NORTH-EAST

Edu, Kwara: On Wednesday, four rice farmers were reportedly abducted in Bokungi village. The abductors remain silent on ransom demands, while residents live in growing fear.

Sabon Birni, Sokoto: On Thursday, gunmen killed two, including a traditional leader, and abducted 15 people, among them four nursing mothers and their babies. Residents accused security forces of deserting their posts, leaving communities vulnerable.

Agwara, Niger state: On Friday, some gunmen abducted dozens of pupils from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools, with reports confirming at least 215 pupils and 12 teachers taken. The state government condemned the attack, highlighting prior security warnings that were not heeded.

Daniel Atori, media aide to Daniel Okoh, the state’s CAN chairman, confirmed the number of the abductees, adding that the association is working with the government and security agencies to see that the children are rescued and brought back safely.

Geidam, Yobe: In the early hours of Wednesday, ISWAP fighters were said to have attacked a police outpost, killing one officer, burning two patrol vehicles, and stealing another.

From the battlefield to school dormitories, church pews, and farming communities, this bloodied week lays bare Nigeria’s deepening crises. The lives lost and the families shattered reflect a nation grappling with underfunded troops, intelligence leaks, and the impunity of armed groups.