The last two weeks have been very tough in Nigeria, as the country reckons with a flurry of distressing news that continues to multiply, from kidnappings to killings and raids. Security concerns in Nigeria are, tragically, not new.  But the scale of violence has not let up; instead, things have gotten worse over the past few decades. 

Recorded data indicates that the number of people killed by bandits or insurgents in the first half of 2025 has already exceeded the total fatalities recorded in all of 2024. The situation is so unpredictable that non-essential travel to nearly all states is advised against, citing risks of terrorism, armed attacks, and communal clashes. 

While these armed groups are not always directly connected, they appear to be taking advantage of the same security weaknesses that increase their impact, whilst also overwhelming local and national forces. The North has long been an epicentre of this insecurity, but recent attacks suggest that insecurity is spreading to other parts of the country. The last 10 days have seen a surge of violent incidents, which we take a closer look at below.

25 Schoolgirls Abducted in Kebbi State

In the early hours of Monday, 17 November 2025, gunmen stormed the dormitory area of Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, located in the town of Maga in Kebbi State, North-Western Nigeria, and abducted 25 schoolgirls from the facility. 

During the raid, the school’s Vice-Principal, Malam Hassan Yakubu Makuku, was reportedly killed while trying to resist the attackers, and at least one other staff member was wounded. Local sources allege that the gunmen were heavily armed and managed to breach the school fence, avoiding immediate containment by on-site security. The victims were reportedly taken into the surrounding bush and forests. Emerging reports confirm that two of the girls have returned. According to Principal Musa Rabi Magaji, one evaded capture during the initial breach, while the second fled custody hours later, arriving home late on Monday.

Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris visited the affected school on the day of the attack, assuring teachers and families that security agencies were intensifying efforts to locate and recover the missing students. Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Waidi Shaibu, also directed troops to launch intelligence-led, round-the-clock operations to track those responsible. Following these orders, troops began continuous maneuvers towards suspected hideouts, but were reportedly met with a coordinated ambush. Footage recorded after the clash showed injured soldiers lying on the ground without immediate medical support, and their vehicle appeared to be visibly marked by heavy gunfire.

The blueprint for this abduction was set in 2014, when the Boko Haram abducted 276 schoolgirls from Chibok. The bandits of the northwest have since then ruthlessly continued with that model. Since 2014, at least 1,500 students have been reported kidnapped from their schools. In February 2018, Boko Haram kidnapped about 110 students from the Government Girls Science Technical College in Dapchi, where several victims died, and Leah Sharibu remained in captivity. By 2020, Katsina saw hundreds more abducted in Kankara and Dandume. Raids became routine in 2021, hitting schools in Jangebe, Afaka, Niger, Kebbi, and Kaduna, with further attacks in 2023 and 2024 across Nasarawa, Zamfara, Ekiti, Kaduna, and Sokoto.

Northern Nigeria continues to be hollowed out by these bandits who operate from fortified camps in ungoverned forests. They have effectively replaced state authority in many rural areas, imposing taxes, pillaging villages, and, lucratively, kidnapping for ransom. The Kebbi raid followed a brutal sequence in Niger State’s Mashegu district, where 16 vigilantes were executed and 42 residents seized, just two days prior. The violence compounded over the weekend in Zamfara: gunmen stormed Fegin Baza on Saturday, killing three people and abducting 64, before targeting Tsohuwar Tasha on Sunday to snatch another 14 people, mostly women and children.

Livestream from Church in Kwara State Captures Vicious Attack

Along with news of the kidnapping of young school girls in Kebbi State came another harrowing reminder of the ongoing armed conflicts across the country, with two lives being lost and one person injured during a terrorist attack in Kwara State. 

On Tuesday, November 18th 2025, there was a terrorist attack on the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Oke Isegun, in Eruku, Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State. Per a live stream from inside the church, posted by Sahara Reporters, armed bandits stormed the church during a gathering, reportedly resulting in the deaths of two people.  One victim, Mr Aderemi, was found inside the church, while another, Mr Tunde Asaba Ajayi, was discovered in a nearby bush with gunshot wounds. Another person was also reportedly shot and hospitalised at ECWA Hospital, Eruku. 

Although not formally confirmed by the police, several worshippers were reportedly abducted during the incident, raising fears of an escalating kidnapping trend in the area. In response, the government has stepped up security in schools across Ifelodun, Ekiti, Irepodun, Isin, and Oke Ero Local Government Areas, part of a broader effort to protect students. Authorities said the move aims to prevent kidnappers from exploiting children as shields against security operations.

ISWAP Claims Murder of Brigadier-General Musa Uba

The North East has remained an active theatre of Boko Haram’s splinter group, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). Throughout 2025, ISWAP has demonstrated a terrifying ability to survive and escalate its war against the Nigerian state. The group has moved beyond the ragtag hit-and-run tactics of the past, adopting sophisticated strategies that rival those of a conventional army.

Over the weekend,  ISWAP carried out one of its most audacious operations to date, ambushing a military convoy along the Damboa–Biu road in Borno State. The convoy, led by Brigadier General Musa Uba of the 25 Task Force Brigade, was returning from a routine patrol when gunmen opened fire. Four soldiers were killed during the attack, and the general was captured.  After capturing General Uba, ISWAP used his mobile phone to make a video call to a colleague before turning it off. They also released propaganda photos of him. The group later published an account via its Amaq bulletin, claiming they had interrogated and tortured the general before killing him.

The military initially dismissed reports of the general’s death, calling them false and urging the public to disregard unverified claims. However, evidence and eyewitness accounts quickly contradicted the official narrative, confirming that the senior officer had indeed been killed. ISWAP’s announcement went further, accusing the army of attempting to cover up the failed operation. This is the first time an extremist group in Nigeria has captured and executed a serving general on the frontline, a major escalation in a conflict now in its second decade. 

Another Abduction of An Undetermined Number of Schoolgirls in Niger State

Five days after the abduction of schoolgirls in Kebbi, another set of girls were taken on November 22 in Niger State, when gunmen raided St. Mary’s Private Catholic Secondary School in Papiri community, Agwara Local Government Area. Reports indicate that an unconfirmed number of students and teachers were abducted during the attack.

The Niger State Government acknowledged the incident in a statement released by the Secretary to the State Government, Abubakar Usman. According to him, authorities had already received intelligence pointing to increased security risks across parts of Niger North. Usman also noted that St. Mary’s School had reopened and resumed classes on its own, without informing the state or requesting official approval before bringing students back.

Community members who visited the school described the incident as a coordinated operation. Local officials floated figures suggesting more than 100 students and teachers were taken, but reports noted that the exact number remains uncertain. Community members said at least “more than a dozen” children were taken, yet none of the circulating estimates have been independently confirmed. 

13 Girls Abducted While Harvesting on Borno Farmland

Boko Haram (or an ISWAP faction) abducted 13 teenage girls from a farm in Huyim, Askira-Uba Local Government Area, Borno State. The girls, aged approximately 15 to 20, were working on farmland in Mussa District when they were taken. One girl escaped and made it back home, helping authorities piece together what happened. The Deputy Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Abdullahi Askira, confirmed the abduction and called on security agencies to intensify efforts. According to a police statement, search-and-rescue operations involving the police, military, local vigilantes, and the Civilian Joint Task Force are ongoing. Meanwhile, residents in the area remain on edge, with some families reportedly relocating amid fears for their safety.

Officials Announce Recoveries in Niger and Kwara

On Sunday, November 23, President Bola Tinubu announced the return of 51 students from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State and all 38 worshippers abducted in Eruku, Kwara State. In a post on his official X handle, he credited security forces for the recoveries and reaffirmed his commitment to protecting citizens nationwide.

The announcement offered no details on how the students or church members were recovered. Later, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) provided further context. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, CAN chairman in Niger State and Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, said many of the pupils had escaped between Friday and Saturday and quietly returned to their families. Because they did not return to school immediately, officials reached out to parents to confirm the students’ whereabouts. President Tinubu’s remarks did not mention the situation in Kebbi State, where the schoolgirls remain unaccounted for following Monday’s attack.