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MAIDUGURI, BORNO STATE — By Prime Brief Media

At least 23 people, including three children, have been killed in a series of coordinated and separate attacks across Borno and Zamfara states on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, according to security incident reports prepared for the United Nations and seen by Prime Brief Media.

The deadliest of the attacks occurred in Pubago community, located in the Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State. According to the UN security report, suspected Boko Haram militants stormed the village in the early hours of Tuesday, opening fire on residents and setting fire to homes and grain stores. Eleven people were confirmed killed in the assault, while an unspecified number of others sustained injuries and are receiving treatment at a primary healthcare facility in Damboa town.

In a separate incident in Zamfara State, armed bandits on motorcycles attacked Rumbuki village in Maru Local Government Area. The assailants, reportedly numbering over 50, rode into the community at approximately 4:00 p.m. and began shooting indiscriminately. Twelve villagers were killed, including three children who were caught in the crossfire while playing outside their family compound. Several women were reportedly abducted during the raid, though the exact number remains unverified.

The UN report noted that both attacks occurred in areas with limited security presence and difficult terrain that hampers rapid response by security forces. The Damboa area of Borno has been a persistent hotspot for Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province activity, with the groups exploiting the vast Sambisa Forest as a base for launching attacks on civilian communities and military positions. Maru Local Government Area in Zamfara, meanwhile, has become emblematic of the banditry crisis that has consumed large swaths of Nigeria's Northwest, with criminal gangs operating with near impunity across remote rural communities.

Local sources in both states expressed frustration over what they described as inadequate security protection for vulnerable rural populations. "We report these movements to the authorities, but the attackers still come," a community leader in Damboa who requested anonymity told Prime Brief Media. "Our people are tired of counting their dead."

Neither the Borno State nor Zamfara State Police Commands have issued official statements regarding the attacks at the time of this report. The Nigerian military's Operation Hadin Kai in the Northeast and Operation Hadarin Daji in the Northwest continue to conduct clearance operations, but the vast and difficult terrain, combined with limited manpower and equipment, has constrained the effectiveness of these missions.

Prime Brief Media extends condolences to the families of the victims and continues to monitor the security situation across Nigeria's northern states. We will provide updates as more information becomes available regarding official casualty figures and any operational responses to the attacks.