At least 65 Nigerians, including 20 soldiers and three officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), lost their lives between April 2 and 8 as a result of attacks by gunmen.   

The three FRSC officials were killed in the Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State on April 3. During the series of attacks, the council’s secretariat was set on fire by assailants suspected of attacking Eke Ekwulobia, a popular market in the LGA.

The following day, gunmen attacked a Catholic church in Ekwulobia, the largest town in Aguata LGA, killing two security officials. In all, several institutions and security personnel were attacked in the LGA within 48 hours.

Just a day before the Aguata attack, three soldiers were killed in Tafa LGA, Kaduna State, when their vehicle ran over an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by suspected bandits who had been launching a series of attacks on people in the area. The soldiers were said to have been on an assignment in Gwagwa village when the explosion occurred.

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Bandits also killed seventeen soldiers at a military base in the Birnin-Gwari area of Kaduna on April 4. The armed men, who were said to have besieged the base in their hundreds, injured 40 additional soldiers during the attack. Three civilians also lost their lives.

On April 3, suspected herdsmen killed 12 people in the Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State. On the same day, four people also lost their lives in similar attacks in Tsafe LGA, Zamfara State. Two days later, another man lost his life in Bassa after being attacked by suspected herdsmen.

In Bali LGA, Taraba State, three people were killed after suspected bandits attacked a mosque on April 5. Four worshippers were also kidnapped during the attack. On the same day, one person was killed in Kankara LGA, Katsina State.

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On April 6, unknown gunmen invaded an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Barkin LGA, Plateau State, killing two people. On the evening of the same day, bandits also killed one person and abducted seven people during an attack on a mosque in Gassol LGA, Taraba State.

Bandits killed three and kidnapped 20 people in Shiroro LGA, Niger State, on April 7. On the same day, gunmen suspected to be herdsmen also killed five people in Ovia North-East LGA, Edo state.  

A day later, suspected bandits killed two people in Kajuru LGA, Kaduna State, and three people in Munya LGA, Niger State.

In all, these terrorists succeeded in killing no less than 65 persons in the space of seven days.

In recent times, Kaduna has become one of the most insecure states in Nigeria. The three deadly attacks on Aguata, Anambra State, also reveals the ease with which violent crimes are committed within the area.