Nigeria: Armed men kill dozens of worshippers during Friday prayers in northwest

Dozens of worshippers were killed during Friday prayers last week in Ungushi village, Sokoto State, northwest Nigeria, local sources reported on Monday.

Shamsuddeen Mai Akwai, secretary of the Kebbe local government council, stated that the attackers were suspected jihadists from the Lakurawa group. Researchers believe this group is affiliated with the Islamic State in the Sahel (ISSP), which is primarily active in neighboring Mali and Niger.

According to Mai Akwai, the assailants, armed with "sophisticated weapons," attacked Ungushi village while the faithful were engaged in Friday prayers. The attack reportedly followed the deaths of four soldiers in Kebbe on the same Friday.

A resident of the nearby town of Kebbe, who requested anonymity for security reasons, confirmed that approximately 30 people were killed in Ungushi. A police spokesperson, however, stated that 28 people died.

Nigeria faces multiple security crises in its northern regions, including activity from jihadist groups and criminal gangs motivated by profit, often referred to as "bandits." While the northeast remains the epicenter of a 17-year-old jihadist insurgency, armed groups have expanded their operations into the northwest and central parts of the country. Jihadists from the Sahel have also increasingly moved into Nigeria's northwest in recent years.

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sophisticated weapons