At least 43 Fulani herders have been reportedly killed in a string of violent raids carried out by suspected vigilante groups across rural parts of Kebbi and Niger States between October 24 and 26, 2025.
Multiple community sources confirmed that the coordinated assaults, which struck villages in Argungu, Arewa, and Bunza Local Government Areas of Kebbi State, left several settlements in ruins, with homes razed and residents displaced.
According to accounts gathered from locals, the attackers stormed the herders’ camps at night, firing indiscriminately and setting houses ablaze.
“They came in large numbers, some on motorcycles, others on foot. People were running in all directions,” a resident of Maini Fulani settlement in Argungu recounted.
At least 37 people were killed in the affected Kebbi villages, with dozens more injured and over 200 houses destroyed, particularly in the districts of Lailaba, Bui, and Tilli.
Many families are still searching for missing relatives as displaced survivors take refuge in nearby communities.
Residents alleged that the assailants came from neighbouring areas, including Yeldu District in Arewa LGA and several villages in Bunza such as Tunga Bature, Sangela, and Danmairago.
The attacks, which began in Argungu on October 24, reportedly spread to Bunza on the 25th and then to Bui on the 26th.
Officials of the Kebbi State Government have since visited the devastated communities, pledging to investigate the killings and bring those behind the violence to justice.
The government also assured victims of relief assistance and appealed for calm among residents to prevent further reprisals.
A similar attack was reported earlier in Niger State, where six Fulani herders were killed and more than 60 houses were burnt during coordinated raids on Ejjin, Runji, Majina, and Ginshi villages in Edati Local Government Area on September 21.
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) condemned the killings in both states, describing the attacks as “inhumane and unjustifiable.”
In a statement issued in Abuja by the association’s National Secretary, Bello Aliyu Gotomo, the group called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of those involved.
“Our members are already suffering from bandit attacks and extortion by criminal gangs. Now, they are being targeted by vigilantes acting outside the law,” Gotomo said.
“This growing culture of revenge and mob justice will only deepen insecurity if not urgently addressed.”
MACBAN noted that the Niger incident stemmed from a dispute between a farmer and a herder, during which vigilantes launched an assault even after the suspect herder had been taken into police custody.
The group, however, praised the prompt intervention of the Niger State Governor, which helped prevent the situation from escalating further.
The association urged the Federal Government and relevant security agencies to take decisive action to end the rising wave of violence against pastoralists and farming communities.
“Rural Nigeria is fast becoming a theatre of avoidable bloodshed,” MACBAN warned.
“A coordinated response is needed to safeguard lives, livestock, and livelihoods before the crisis spirals beyond control.”
Security experts have raised concerns that the resurgence of vigilante attacks may fuel retaliatory violence between farmers and herders, worsening instability across the North-West and North-Central regions.
“The government must address these killings with the same seriousness it gives to banditry,” said a security analyst based in Birnin Kebbi.
“Failure to do so risks turning local defence groups into uncontrollable militias.”
As investigations continue, the affected families in Kebbi and Niger remain in mourning, calling on authorities to ensure justice and restore peace to their shattered communities.