At least 12 people have been killed in separate attacks in Kebbi State, according to the police, following reports that suspected Lakurawa terrorists killed up to 20 people, burned houses and motorcycles, and looted shops in Waiwayi village, Koko-Besse Local Government Area.
The Kebbi State Police Command said five people were killed in an attack on October 26, while seven others died in attacks on October 28 across the Karwa, Kestu and Waiwayi axis. The victims included a police inspector who died while on duty.
However, a video obtained by ChroniclesReporters shows what the narrator described as extensive destruction in Waiwayi, including burned buildings, damaged property, looted shops and motorcycles set ablaze.
The reported attacks have forced residents to flee the community for safety in Koko town amid fears of further violence.
In the video, a man speaking in Hausa appealed to members of the public to circulate the footage, alleging that the attackers killed residents, set houses on fire and looted shops and homes.
“This is Waiwayi town. The town has fallen under the control of terrorists. As you can see, these are the places that have been set on fire,” the narrator said while showing the destruction.
“Look at what has happened here, my brothers and sisters. Can you see it? Look at this. You can see it. This is all that remains of the town.”
The narrator alleged that the attackers killed residents, drove people away and burned their houses, leaving parts of the community deserted.
“They burned people, drove residents away, and set their houses on fire. They killed those they wanted to kill,” he said, urging viewers to share the footage to draw attention to the situation.
He put the death toll from the assault on Waiwayi at up to 20 people, a figure higher than the 12 deaths reported by the police across the October 26 and 28 attacks.
The narrator also alleged that the assailants looted valuables from shops and homes before setting motorcycles on fire.
“They killed people and took whatever they wanted. They looted valuables and other belongings. You can see the motorcycles here. As you can see, they burned people’s motorcycles everywhere. They broke into shops and took whatever they wanted,” he said.
The footage shows what the narrator described as the aftermath of the attacks, with extensive damage to buildings and property and no residents visible in the areas captured.
The conflicting death tolls have raised questions about the full scale of the violence, although the available information does not independently establish the number of people killed in Waiwayi alone.
The police, however, maintained that security operatives repelled the attacks and were working to restore peace to the affected communities.
Speaking to ChroniclesReporters, the Kebbi State Police Command spokesperson, SP Bashir Usman, linked the crisis in communities along the Besse/Shanga riverine axis to alleged reprisal attacks following an earlier incident involving Fulani traders.
According to him, the crisis began with a rumour of alleged cattle rustling by suspected Lakurawa elements and an imminent threat of attack.
Usman said the rumour prompted the mobilisation of vigilantes known as Yan Sakai, who allegedly attacked Fulani traders at Samanaji Market on October 22, 2026.
“This triggered the mass mobilisation of rogue Yan Sakai, who, on October 22, 2026, invaded Samanaji Market and attacked innocent Fulani traders who had come to conduct their lawful businesses,” he said.
He explained that police tactical teams deployed by the Divisional Police Officer in Besse responded to the incident to restore peace and prevent further violence.
“Our police tactical teams, deployed by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Besse, responded promptly to restore peace and prevent further carnage. However, three Fulani people lost their lives, while a police inspector sustained injuries in the line of duty,” Usman said.
The police spokesperson said the displacement of residents from some communities followed subsequent reprisal attacks.
“The present displacement of residents is an offshoot of reprisal attacks in some villages,” he added.
Usman confirmed that suspected Mamudawa/Lakurawa terrorists attacked communities along the Karwa, Kestu and Waiwayi axis on October 26 and 28, but maintained that joint security teams repelled the assaults.
“Meanwhile, recent attacks on October 26 and 28 in the Karwa, Kestu and Waiwayi axis by suspected Mamudawa/Lakurawa terrorists were gallantly repelled by our joint security teams, although seven people unfortunately lost their lives, including a police inspector who paid the supreme price in the line of duty,” he said.
The police account puts the combined death toll from the October 26 and 28 attacks at 12, comprising five people killed on October 26 and seven on October 28. The narrator in the circulating video, however, claimed that as many as 20 people were killed in the attack on Waiwayi.
The two figures could not be independently reconciled from the available information.
The police spokesperson said the Commissioner of Police, CP Umar M. Hadejia, had ordered clearance operations, search-and-rescue efforts and confidence-building operations across the affected communities.
“Additional Police Mobile Force (PMF), tactical and conventional teams have been deployed to work in synergy with other security agencies to dominate the area and restore lasting peace,” Usman said.
He added that investigations into the incidents were ongoing and urged residents to remain calm.
“Investigation is ongoing, and residents are urged to remain calm and disregard unverified narratives being circulated to cause panic,” he said.
The attacks and the reported displacement of residents have heightened concerns over the security situation in communities along the Besse/Shanga riverine axis of Kebbi State, with residents facing uncertainty over their safety and the possibility of further violence.