Gunmen Kill Six Farmers in Night Raid on Wawa Village
At least six farmers were killed late Thursday night after armed assailants launched a deadly attack on Wawa Village, opening fire on residents working on their farms.
Sources said the attackers arrived in large numbers around 10 p.m. and shot the victims at close range before fleeing the area.
The deceased were identified as Bahbe Bokobe, Luku—a member of the local vigilante group—Bahgado Bohboh, Naziru Kidebe, Abdulrahman Kidebe, popularly known as “Ogede,” and Bashiru Dahtobeh. All were male residents of the community.
Security operatives reportedly cordoned off the area shortly after the attack, while the bodies were evacuated to the General Hospital in Wawa, where they were deposited for autopsy.
Security analyst Zagazola Makama noted that while such incidents are often described as banditry, emerging intelligence points to a more complex and evolving threat. What began years ago as cattle rustling and opportunistic criminal raids in parts of the North-West and North-Central regions is increasingly displaying features of a hybrid jihadist campaign.
According to him, the operational patterns—execution-style killings, prolonged presence in communities, coordinated movements, and organised withdrawal into forest hideouts—are inconsistent with conventional banditry. Instead, they resemble tactics previously associated with Boko Haram’s JAS faction, now adapting to new operational theatres.
The Wawa axis has been identified as a strategic area of concern due to its location along key corridors linking Niger, Kwara State, and the Benin Republic. The area also provides access to critical infrastructure, including nearby military installations.
Kainji National Park, surrounded by communities such as Nuku, Durumma, Woro, Wawa, and Babanna, has reportedly become a rear base for insurgent groups operating along the Niger–Kwara corridor. Its vast terrain offers mobility, supply routes, and escape paths across state and international borders.
Recent attacks in Niger State and neighbouring areas, including coordinated assaults on villages and high-profile abductions, have heightened fears that extremist networks are expanding beyond their traditional strongholds in the North-East.
The killings in Wawa, analysts warn, underscore the urgent need for a recalibrated security response that goes beyond treating such attacks as isolated criminal incidents.
