Nigeria: Customs Officer Killed as Gunmen Attack Security Camp in Kebbi

A Nigerian Customs officer has been killed and a security facility destroyed following a late-night attack by gunmen in Maje, a community in Bagudo Local Government Area of Kebbi State, north-west Nigeria.

Residents and local security sources told the BBC that the attackers, believed to be members of the Lakurawa armed group, arrived in large numbers and opened fire on the camp before setting it ablaze.

> “They came shooting sporadically, and everyone ran for their lives,” a resident said. “The gunfire lasted for several minutes before they set the camp on fire.”

The incident is the latest in a string of violent assaults carried out by armed groups across the region, where rural communities and security posts have frequently come under attack.

As of Saturday morning, neither the Kebbi State Government nor the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) had issued an official statement about the incident. The number of casualties and the extent of damage to property remain unclear.

North-west Nigeria has witnessed a surge in violent attacks by armed groups locally referred to as bandits. These groups, often operating from forested areas, have targeted villages, travellers, and security personnel, engaging in kidnappings, extortion, and deadly raids.

Efforts by security forces to contain the violence have met with limited success, with many communities expressing frustration over inadequate protection and delayed response times.

The attack comes amid renewed controversy over comments by prominent Kaduna-based Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, who again defended the actions of armed bandits during an interview on Trust TV.

Gumi claimed that the groups are not motivated by a desire for indiscriminate violence, but by what he described as “revenge missions” stemming from long-standing grievances and communal conflicts.

> “Yes, they have killed, and it is wrong to kill innocent people,” he said. “But if you understand their psychology, they are reacting to injustices and revenge.”

The cleric, who has previously advocated for dialogue and amnesty for bandits, argued that many of them are Fulani herders who have suffered losses during years of conflict and displacement.

> “Fulani herdsmen have lived peacefully with others for centuries,” he added. “They don’t attack people without cause.”

Gumi urged the government of President Bola Tinubu to prioritise reconciliation and rehabilitation programmes for armed groups, warning that a purely military approach would not end the crisis.

Authorities in Kebbi State have yet to comment on either the attack or the cleric’s remarks. However, the latest violence underscores the continuing challenge facing Nigeria’s security forces, as armed groups maintain a strong presence across large parts of the country’s north-west and north-central regions.