The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for an attack in a village in northeastern Nigeria, which killed at least 29 people and left several others injured.
According to an Associated Press report, the attack occurred late Sunday in Guyaku, a village in the Gombi local government area of Adamawa state. Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri visited the village on Monday, denouncing the attack as tragic and unacceptable.
Local residents said the militants raided a football pitch where people had been gathering and opened fire at random. The assailants also set several homes ablaze before leaving the area.
The assault comes just a week after Islamic militants killed 11 people in Pubagu, a remote village on the outskirts of Sambisa Forest in Borno state, on April 21.
Vulnerable rural communities in Nigeria frequently face attacks from Islamic extremists and bandits, who exploit the country’s vast rural areas and security gaps. Among the most active Islamic militant groups are Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), affiliated with the Islamic State.
Other groups include the IS-linked Lakurawa and various bandit gangs involved in kidnappings for ransom and illegal mining.
A recent confidential memo from Nigeria’s border security reportedly indicates that sleeper cells linked to ISWAP and Boko Haram are planning coordinated attacks targeting key facilities in Abuja, the country’s capital. The targets include a prison, a military detention center, and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, according to a report by Responsible Statecraft.
Since 2009, Nigeria has been grappling with a complex security crisis marked by kidnappings, banditry, and terrorist attacks across the northern regions. Earlier, US President Donald Trump had warned of potential military action if the Nigerian government failed to protect Christians in the country.