At least 46 people, most of them children, have died after a boat capsized near Gorau in Nigeria’s Goroni area, police spokesperson Ahmad Rufai said on Thursday. Sixteen people were rescued alive and 15 remained missing. Authorities believe the vessel, which sank in northwestern Sokoto province, was carrying more than 70 passengers.

The accident site is difficult to reach because it is in a remote area, Rufai said, adding that security forces and emergency workers were heading there. National Emergency Management Agency spokesperson Ezekiel Manzo said the agency’s team had reached Gorau. A witness told Reuters that children may have been travelling with farm owners and labourers heading to harvest rice.

Boat accidents occur frequently in Nigeria, with overcrowding, inadequate vessel maintenance and weak enforcement of safety rules cited as contributing factors. Authorities have recommended measures including safer boats and life jackets, dredging waterways, deploying waterway safety personnel at jetties and terminals, and ensuring boat operators receive proper training and licences. Rivers are an important transport route for many rural residents, where poor roads and a lack of bridges can make land travel difficult.

At least 30 people were killed when armed gunmen attacked Naridon village in the Kauru area of Nigeria’s northwestern Kaduna state, Reuters reported on July 28, citing local residents. The attackers entered the village around dawn on Monday and opened fire. At least eight children were among those killed, while four other people were seriously injured.

The secretary to the village head of Dogon Rana said the gunmen fired indiscriminately and set homes ablaze. Local youth leader Ishaya Dawa said the assault began around midnight, with residents shot at randomly. He said some residents were killed by being slit, and that women, children and elderly people were among the dead.

The attackers set fire to several houses before fleeing, and some bodies have been taken to a morgue, according to Dawa. Security personnel arrived at the scene several hours after the attack, local residents said. Kaduna police spokesperson Mansur Hassan said further details would be released soon. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

An Enugu Air passenger aircraft left the runway while landing at Benin Airport in Nigeria on Thursday afternoon. The incident occurred at about 4 p.m. local time, according to the report. All 68 passengers aboard were safely rescued, and a major accident was avoided.

Airport sources said the aircraft went beyond the runway after landing, causing panic among passengers and airport officials. All passengers and crew members were subsequently evacuated safely from the aircraft.

At least 35 people were killed when gunmen attacked Niger’s largest airport in the capital Niamey early Thursday, according to the country’s defense ministry. The dead included 22 attackers, 11 soldiers, and two civilians. Authorities said the assault occurred near Diori Hamani International Airport shortly after dawn prayers, marking the second such attack in less than five months. An al-Qaeda-linked group claimed responsibility for the violence.

The ministry reported that four attackers were injured and 20 suspects detained. Security forces seized RPG-7 launchers, AK-47 rifles, explosives, grenades, communication equipment, and thousands of rounds of ammunition. Local residents described hearing explosions and gunfire soon after morning prayers. The fighting was brought under control before mid-morning, and security forces launched a pursuit operation for fleeing assailants.

African Union Commission Chairperson Mahamoud Ali Youssouf condemned the attack and praised Niger’s security forces. The country has been battling Islamist insurgencies for over a decade, with a similar attack claimed by an Islamic State-linked group at the same airport in January.

Seventeen farmers were killed and five others injured when armed assailants attacked a rural village in Zamfara State, northern Nigeria, according to an AFP report published on June 13, 2026. The incident occurred in Goron Namaye village of Maradun district, where the attackers arrived on motorcycles disguised as tourists and opened fire on farmers working in their fields.

Local administrator Sanusi Dosara confirmed receiving reports of 17 deaths. Residents said the gunmen concealed their weapons and posed as visitors before launching the assault. Another resident, Nura Musa, suggested the attack might have been retaliation for an earlier clash in which 13 bandits were killed by village guards.

The AFP report noted that armed gangs frequently carry out raids in northern and central Nigeria, targeting communities for ransom kidnappings and cattle theft, highlighting ongoing insecurity in the region.

Forty-nine people have died of thirst in Niger’s Sahara Desert after their truck broke down, according to a statement from the Agadez Governorate posted on Facebook. The victims were returning home after attending a Muslim festival when their vehicle malfunctioned in a remote area more than 80 kilometers west of Assamaka, a key transit point between Niger and Algeria near the Mali border.

The governorate said the truck’s driver, assistant, and passengers tried to repair the vehicle but failed. Stranded in extreme heat without water, they faced severe dehydration that led to their deaths. Two survivors managed to walk over 50 kilometers to reach a water source and alert authorities in Assamaka.

Authorities reported that the deceased were buried in a mass grave. The incident highlights the deadly risks faced by travelers crossing the Sahara’s harsh and isolated terrain.

At least 29 people were killed when militants attacked sleeping villagers in Guyaku village, Adamawa State, Nigeria, on Sunday night. The Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the assault through a message on Telegram. According to government sources, armed militants entered the village in several groups and opened fire indiscriminately, killing many on the spot and injuring others. Several houses were also set on fire as terrified residents fled for safety.

Police arrived at the scene after receiving reports and took the injured to a local hospital. On Monday, Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri visited the site and condemned the incident as a cowardly attack. In a separate incident the same day, armed assailants stormed an orphanage in Lokoja, Kogi State, abducting 23 teenagers. Police later rescued 15 of them, while the search for the remaining missing youths continues. No group has claimed responsibility for the abductions.

Authorities are continuing rescue operations and investigations into both attacks, which have heightened security concerns in the affected regions.

A Nigerian Air Force airstrike hit a market in Yobe State’s border area with Borno, reportedly killing more than 200 people. The incident occurred on Saturday night in the village market of Jilli, where local residents and a councilor confirmed the high death toll. The attack targeted the area near the border, which has long been affected by violence.

The Nigerian Air Force stated that its operation was aimed at fighters from the militant group Boko Haram but did not acknowledge striking a civilian market. The region, known for the presence of armed militias, frequently experiences clashes that have caused thousands of deaths over time. Local officials said the injured were taken to hospitals in Yobe and Borno for treatment.

Three residents and a non-governmental organization also reported that the number of dead could exceed 200, according to Reuters and BBC sources.

At least 21 villagers were killed in an attack by armed bandits in Zamfara state, northern Nigeria, according to local residents cited by AFP on Saturday. The assault occurred on Friday in Bunkasau village of Bukkuyum district, where dozens of gunmen arrived on about 80 motorcycles. Villagers attempted to resist, leading to a gun battle between the two sides.

Zamfara, located in northwestern and central Nigeria, has long suffered from repeated assaults, kidnappings, and looting by criminal groups locally known as bandits. Police spokesperson Yazid Abubakar confirmed awareness of the incident and said an investigation was underway but provided no further details. Local community leader Lawali Umar said villagers had stopped paying extortion money to the bandits and instead used the funds to buy weapons for self-defense.

The violence in the region initially stemmed from disputes between herders and farmers over land and water but has since evolved into organized cattle rustling and kidnapping networks. Despite military deployment and peace efforts since 2015, such attacks continue to persist.

In Kano, northern Nigeria, second-hand electronics imported from Europe, America, and Asia are flooding markets like Sabon Gari, where low-income buyers seek affordable appliances. Many of these goods, often near the end of their lifespan, arrive damaged or fail shortly after purchase, worsening the country’s growing electronic waste problem. According to the United Nations, about 60,000 tonnes of used electronics enter Nigeria annually, with at least 15,700 tonnes already defective upon arrival.

The trade, largely driven by exporters from Germany, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, China, the United States, and Ireland, often violates the Basel Convention, which restricts hazardous waste exports to developing nations. Informal recyclers in Kano dismantle broken devices without protection, exposing themselves to toxic substances such as mercury and refrigerant gases banned in Western countries. Health experts warn of serious respiratory, neurological, and reproductive risks linked to such exposure.

Despite Nigeria’s environmental regulations and inspections, weak enforcement and loopholes allow mislabeled shipments to enter the country. Environmental advocates and traders call for stricter border checks, certification systems, and international accountability to curb the inflow of unsafe electronic waste.

At least 23 people were killed and 108 others injured in a series of suspected suicide bombings in Maiduguri, a city in northeastern Nigeria. The explosions occurred on Monday evening, and police confirmed the details on Tuesday. Police spokesperson Nahum Kenneth Daso said preliminary investigations indicated that the incidents were carried out by suspected suicide attackers.

Authorities reported that the blasts followed an earlier assault on a military checkpoint between Sunday night and early Monday morning. Officials have blamed suspected jihadist groups for both the checkpoint attack and the subsequent explosions in Maiduguri. The police statement described the loss of life as tragic and confirmed that investigations were ongoing.

The incidents highlight continuing security challenges in Nigeria’s northeast, where authorities are struggling to contain militant violence. Further details about the attackers or the specific groups involved were not disclosed in the initial reports.

At least 20 people were killed when armed gunmen attacked a village in central Nigeria’s Plateau State on Friday, according to a statement released Saturday by the Kanam Development Association (KADA). The group said the attackers ambushed soldiers on routine patrol before opening fire, resulting in the deaths of 12 security personnel and eight local residents who had joined efforts to defend their community.

KADA reported that after the assault on the soldiers, the gunmen raided a nearby village, looting livestock and other property. The organization said the incident has worsened the hardship faced by already vulnerable rural populations. The attackers, described locally as “bandits,” are part of armed groups known for kidnappings and village raids across Nigeria.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, continues to face multiple security crises. Despite ongoing military operations against Islamist insurgents, the presence of various armed groups has further complicated the country’s security situation.

At least 50 people were killed when armed assailants attacked a village in Zamfara State, northwestern Nigeria, late Thursday night. The gunmen, riding on motorcycles, stormed the village in the Bukuyum area, setting houses on fire and abducting several women and children. The assault continued until Friday morning, leaving widespread devastation across the community.

Hamisu A. Faru, a legislator representing southern Bukuyum, said the exact number of abducted individuals remains unclear as local officials are still compiling a list of the missing. A local resident, 41-year-old Abdullahi Sani, reported that villagers had alerted security forces a day earlier after spotting more than 150 motorcycles carrying armed men, but no action was taken.

The attack follows a similar incident last week in Niger State’s Borgu area, where at least 46 people were killed, including 38 in Konkoso village, marking another wave of deadly violence in Nigeria’s northwest.

At least 32 people were killed and several others abducted when armed assailants attacked three villages in northern Nigeria’s Niger State on Saturday, according to local police and witnesses cited by Al Jazeera. The attackers, arriving on motorcycles, carried out violent raids across the villages, setting homes ablaze and kidnapping residents.

Police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun confirmed that suspected terrorists struck Tunga-Makeri village, killing six people, burning houses, and abducting several villagers. In Konkoso, resident Jeremiah Timothy told Reuters that the assault began with sporadic gunfire before the attackers set fire to a police station, leaving at least 26 people dead. Authorities said the attackers included groups linked to ISIL (ISIS) and local kidnapping gangs seeking ransom.

The attacks occurred near the Kainji forest along the Niger–Kwara border, an area known as a hideout for armed groups including Boko Haram and criminal gangs.

The United States is set to deploy 200 troops to Nigeria to assist in the fight against Boko Haram and the Islamic State. A U.S. Africa Command official said on Tuesday that the soldiers will train Nigerian forces and provide technical guidance. According to The Wall Street Journal, the new team will complement a smaller group already stationed in the country and is expected to arrive within the next few weeks. A spokesperson for U.S. Africa Command told AFP that the mission will focus on training and coordination support for air and ground operations.

Nigerian Defense Headquarters spokesperson Samaila Uba stated that the U.S. troops will not take part in direct combat or operations. The deployment comes as Nigeria faces diplomatic pressure from the United States over security concerns. U.S. President Donald Trump has accused Nigeria of persecuting Christians, though reports indicate that both Christians and Muslims have been victims of violence. Trump’s senior adviser on Arab and African affairs, Masad Bolos, previously said Boko Haram and the Islamic State have killed more Muslims than Christians. Nigeria’s government has rejected allegations of Christian persecution.