Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Abuja, Nigeria — Residents of Gebbe village in Shanga Local Government Area, Kebbi State, are fleeing in fear after a sudden and violent attack by armed gunmen that killed several civilians and forced families — including men, women and children — to escape into neighbouring communities, bushes and across streams in search of safety. The attack, which struck without warning, has triggered mass displacement, exposed survivors to extreme hardship, and created an urgent need for humanitarian assistance.
According to the Kebbi State Police Command, at least eight people were killed in the coordinated assaults that hit Gebbe and nearby villages including Kaiwa and Gelawu in Shanga LGA on December 29, 2025. Seven victims died during the initial attack, and another later succumbed to injuries sustained during the violence. Security forces have described the incident as one of the most serious outbreaks of violence in the area in recent years, and federally backed patrols are reportedly underway to secure the affected communities.
Eyewitnesses say gunmen opened fire on homes and passersby in the dead of night, triggering widespread panic. In scenes captured on video that have circulated widely on social media, villagers — including families with young children — are seen crossing a flowing stream to escape the advancing attackers, carrying whatever possessions they could salvage. Many displaced residents are now scattered across nearby farms, forests and informal gathering points, where they remain without adequate shelter, food, clean water or access to basic services.
The attackers — believed by local sources to be part of the region’s loosely coordinated bandit networks that have terrorised northwestern Nigeria for years — fled before security reinforcements could arrive, leaving behind a quaking population grappling with loss, fear and uncertainty. Residents have appealed urgently to state and federal authorities, as well as humanitarian organisations, for relief support including emergency shelter, food supplies, medical assistance, and protection from further violence.
The displacement in Gebbe adds to a broader pattern of insecurity and internal flight affecting rural communities across Kebbi State and the wider northwest region. Banditry — well documented as a persistent threat across the area — has repeatedly uprooted families, destroyed livelihoods and created a significant population of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in need of sustained support. Past displacement crises in the state have highlighted the difficulty faced by displaced families, who often struggle to secure basic necessities in makeshift conditions without adequate government or humanitarian support.
Local chiefs and community leaders have expressed deep concern that failure to deliver immediate assistance risks a humanitarian situation deteriorating further, especially as temperatures drop in the harmattan season and as displaced children, the elderly and vulnerable residents find themselves without access to health care or clean water. Calls have also intensified for greater security reinforcement around vulnerable rural settlements, better early‑warning systems, and improved coordination between security forces and grassroots defence groups to prevent future attacks.
Socio‑economic impacts are already becoming apparent. Many of those who fled were smallholder farmers or traders, and the loss of homes, livestock and market access is expected to deepen food insecurity and economic vulnerability among displaced families. Humanitarian workers warn that without immediate intervention, outbreaks of malnutrition, disease and long‑term poverty could follow, especially as winter conditions stress already limited resources.
The federal and state authorities have acknowledged the attacks and committed to scaling up security operations, while police have launched a manhunt for the perpetrators and intensified patrols in the Shanga LGA. However, displaced residents and broader civil‑society observers stress that protection and relief efforts must be accompanied by durable development strategies and long‑term peacebuilding measures to stem the cycle of violence.
For now, families from Gebbe remain scattered, traumatised and in immediate need, with many uncertain whether they can ever return to their homes. Their plight highlights the human toll of insecurity in northern Nigeria’s rural heartlands — a toll that demands urgent and sustained humanitarian attention.
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