MAY 2026

Joint Nigerian-U.S. counterterrorism strikes

Joint operations by Nigerian and U.S. forces in the North-East were reported across multiple dates (May 16, 19 and 25) to have eliminated roughly 175 ISIS/ISWAP fighters, including several top commanders and a senior ISIS leader, with strikes targeting compounds around Metele in the Lake Chad Basin. These overlapping accounts appear to describe the same operation rather than cumulative separate strikes, and the figure should be read as a single ~175-fatality engagement. Troops of the Joint Task Force separately repelled an ISWAP attack on a military camp at Gonori, neutralising over 50 attackers without loss of equipment.

Boko Haram atrocities and abductions

Boko Haram released video showing the beheading of five of 416 captives held at Ngoshe, Gwoza LGA, after they attempted to escape captivity. Operation HADIN KAI troops rescued 92 civilians abducted along the Buratai–Kamuya road near Biu, detonating three IEDs planted by fleeing insurgents.

Cross-border airstrike casualties

Chadian military airstrikes targeting Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region caused dozens of Nigerian fishermen to be feared dead, with many drowning as they fled the strikes — an incident the UN has urged be independently investigated.

Mass school abductions in Oriire LGA

Armed militants, described in some reports as a Boko Haram faction, attacked schools in Oriire LGA around Ogbomoso on May 15, abducting at least 39 pupils and seven teachers and killing three adults during the raid. Subsequent reporting indicated as many as 46 to 50 victims, including a two-year-old toddler, taken from Baptist Nursery and Primary Schools and the communities of Ahoro-Esinele and Yawota.

Killings and federal response

One teacher abducted from the Esiele community was later confirmed killed by captors, and a vice principal was reportedly beheaded in a terrorist den. A Federal Government delegation arrived in Ogbomoso following the abductions, while the Defence Headquarters insisted the attacks did not indicate a permanent terrorist presence in the South-West.

Mass killings and community raids

Violence across the state killed over 50 citizens during the month, while bandits attacked the Angwan Rukuba community in Jos North, killing more than 30 people and prompting a curfew relaxation afterwards. Gunmen struck Ngbra Zongo in Bassa LGA, killing 13 and injuring many others.

Barkin Ladi and Riyom attacks

Suspected Fulani bandits raided Barkin Ladi and Bassa LGAs, killing over 10 and prompting bans on night mining and grazing. Attacks on the Nding Susut/Sesu community killed five to six residents, while separate incidents in Riyom and Pankshin LGAs left four dead and several injured, and a raid on Fan District, Barkin Ladi killed five civilians.

Market and village massacres

Bandits attacked Jikamshi market in Musawa LGA as traders closed for the day, killing 24, and raided Kiliya village in Dutsinma LGA, killing at least 16 residents gathered for Eid-el-Kabir and triggering mass displacement. Reprisal and coordinated attacks in Kankia and Matazu LGAs killed a further 16, 12 and 11 community members respectively.

Security operations and rescues

Security operatives killed five suspected bandits and rescued 32 kidnap victims in coordinated operations across Matazu, Musawa, Kankia and Charanchi, targeting a notorious bandit leader's camp. A separate offensive in Dikawa village, Matazu LGA, rescued another 32 victims and neutralised two terrorists.

Contested military airstrikes

A military airstrike on Tumfa market in Zurmi LGA killed at least 117 people, including civilians and bandits, while a separate report described a strike on Tumfa village in Shinkafi LGA killing 100 civilians. One ambiguous account citing a single 'market' strike suggests these figures may describe overlapping rather than wholly distinct events, and they should not be summed into a confirmed combined toll. Both reports drew United Nations calls for independent investigation amid concern over civilian casualties.

Banditry and highway ambushes

Gunmen killed at least 30 people in attacks across the state, and a highway ambush on travellers killed a further 30. Armed men killed 10 vigilantes defending Damri town in Bakura LGA, while broader attacks across Zamfara, Plateau and Benue left 42 dead.

Rescue operations

Troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA rescued 31 kidnap victims and killed five terrorists during air and ground assaults on camps, while a patrol along the Bagega–Kawaye road in Anka LGA rescued another 31 victims who had escaped during an airstrike.

Airstrikes in Shiroro LGA

Airstrikes on bandit hideouts in Kusasu, Shiroro LGA killed approximately 70 armed bandits, but a separate strike on Guradnayi village in the same LGA mistakenly killed at least 12 civilians while pursuing armed men on motorcycles. The military also rescued 179 kidnap victims across Niger, Borno and Zamfara between May 25 and 28.

Militia raid on Fulani herders

A Nigerian militia, backed by the military and Beninese vigilantes, raided Kabe in Borgu LGA, killing 41 ethnic Fulani herders accused of being informants for the jihadist group Ansaru.

Communal and farmland clashes

Eight villagers were killed in clashes between Fulani and Kamaku ethnic groups in Tegina, Rafi LGA, following a dispute over a lawmaker's donation, and a long-running farmland dispute in Gbako LGA left three dead during a reconciliation meeting.

Detention facility deaths

Amnesty International reported that at least 154 members of the Fulani community died in a military-controlled detention facility at Yikpata due to overcrowding, malnutrition and disease, calling on Nigerian authorities to investigate.

Church and prayer-ground abductions

Armed attackers struck a night vigil at Ori-Oke Ajaiye, killing three and abducting 15 worshippers, with further abductions of women and children in Yashikira and the burning of the Emir's palace. Additional attacks killed three and abducted six in Isanlu-Isin, Isin LGA, while terrorists abducted 10 more across Kwara during coordinated raids.

Attacks on police camps

Suspected terrorists assaulted a Police Mobile Force camp at Tenebo community, Kaiama LGA, killing three officers and injuring two during a gun battle before retreating.

Assaults on Buni Yadi military facilities

Boko Haram insurgents attacked the Northeast Theatre Training Centre in Buni Yadi, Gujba LGA, killing at least 36 soldiers and Mobile Police officers, with related assaults on the Nigerian Army Special Forces School killing 17 police officers and additional personnel. A coordinated midnight assault on two military bases killed at least 12, while troops repelled an ISWAP attack on a base in Buni Gari, losing two soldiers.

Rescue and clearance operations

Army troops rescued six women and children abducted by Boko Haram/ISWAP near Amuda in the Mandara Mountains and freed two kidnapped children in Ngamdu, arresting suspects linked to terrorism and drug peddling. Ambush operations in Gujba LGA neutralised two suspected ISWAP terrorists and recovered AK-47 rifles.

Cult and community attacks

Unidentified gunmen attacked a community killing at least eight people and burning houses, while suspected cultists shot dead two individuals in Nekede, Owerri West. A 21-year-old student was murdered by fellow campus organisation members over a theft accusation, with three suspects arrested.

Herder violence and kidnapping

Suspected herders killed a resident in Eziobodo, Owerri West, triggering protests and the arrest of 24 suspects, and injured several residents including a minor in a further attack. Troops rescued four kidnap victims in Oguta LGA, with one killed during the operation, while protests erupted across three communities over rising kidnappings.

Political violence

Armed political thugs killed five civilians in attacks linked to ongoing political tensions and alleged politician sponsorship, with Amnesty International calling for investigation. A further three community members were killed in a politically motivated attack near the Government House, raising fears of a resurgence in political violence.

Bandit raids on Tsanyawa LGA

Armed bandits repeatedly attacked the Yankamaye community in Tsanyawa LGA, killing three to five residents, injuring others and rustling livestock during indiscriminate evening assaults that forced many villagers to flee.

Cult killings in Makurdi

Suspected cultists on motorcycles killed at least eight people in their sleep on Aliade Street, Makurdi, on May 11, while a clash between rival cult groups in the Agwan Jukun suburb killed three and sparked panic that emptied homes and businesses.

Highway ambushes and abductions

Armed invaders killed four travellers on the Aila-Odugheho road in Agatu LGA and ambushed farmers along the Odugbeho–Aila road, killing at least four. Gunmen killed four across Otukpo, while kidnappings claimed lives in Ushongo and Gwer West LGAs and eight UTME candidates abducted near Taraku were later rescued.

Serial killings in Odukpani

A suspected serial killer was arrested in Creektown Forest, Odukpani LGA, confessing to the murder of at least 30 individuals lured with the help of a female accomplice, with multiple graves discovered after a recent killing led police to the site. Two overlapping reports describe the same confession and the same ~30 victims, which should be counted once rather than aggregated.

Waterway abductions and unrest

Suspected militants abducted 15 passengers on the Calabar–Oron waterway, prompting the Nigerian Navy to restrict movement. Two University of Cross River State students died during a Calabar protest over a fatal accident, amid claims of gunfire exchanged with police.