Gunmen Kill at Least 29 in Northeast Nigeria Attack on Football Pitch

The state governor visited the site and confirmed the death toll, attributing the violence to Boko Haram militants. m. local time, with gunmen arriving on motorcycles and shooting sporadically. Residents reported that the attackers surrounded the area, causing panic as people fled.

A church was set ablaze, and provision shops were looted before the assailants fled toward the Sambisa forest.

The Islamic State's West Africa Province (ISWAP) claimed responsibility for the attack, stating it killed at least 25 people and torched a church and nearly 100 motorcycles, according to a monitoring group. However, local officials blamed Boko Haram. The governor vowed to intensify security operations to restore peace and prevent further incidents.

“Our people converged at a football pitch in Guyaku community ... [and] were attacked by insurgents who entered with guns and began shooting randomly.”

A local community leader described how the attackers operated for several hours, killing residents and destroying property. Television footage showed a burnt church and charred motorcycles at the scene. Adamawa state borders Cameroon and is a hotspot for jihadist violence, criminal gangs, and communal conflicts over land.

In a separate attack on Sunday, gunmen raided an unregistered orphanage in Kogi state, central Nigeria, kidnapping 23 children and the facility's proprietress. Security forces rescued 15 of the children through a prompt response, according to the state government.

Efforts continue to secure the release of the remaining victims. The Kogi state commissioner for information confirmed the rescues and noted that the orphanage was operating illegally without government knowledge. No group has claimed responsibility, but security sources mentioned a functional Boko Haram cell in the area, amid Nigeria's broader kidnapping crisis.

“The government remains fully committed to ensuring the rescue of all the victims.”

Mass kidnappings are common in Nigeria, particularly in the north, where criminal gangs demand ransoms despite a government ban on such payments. This incident marks the first reported targeting of an orphanage, following previous school abductions.

These attacks continue a wave of violence across Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, as general elections approach in less than a year. The jihadist insurgency, led by Boko Haram and ISWAP since 2009, has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions in the northeast, spilling into neighboring countries.

A separate incident on Sunday in Lamurde area of Adamawa involved violence blamed on farmland disputes, resulting in loss of lives and property. Nigeria is seeking U.S. support for its troops fighting jihadists amid strained relations following a resurgence of violence.

The security crisis disrupts education, commerce, and travel, with residents questioning authorities' effectiveness. Officials urged institutions like orphanages and schools to engage with government agencies for safety in the current climate.