More than 300 suspected militants reportedly stormed Kebbe, engaging troops and raiding shops, a hospital and vehicles before withdrawing

A deadly Lakurawa attack reportedly shook Kebbe town in Kebbe Local Government Area of Sokoto State on Friday, August 14, 2026, after more than 300 suspected militants on motorcycles engaged soldiers in a gun battle and later raided shops, a hospital and vehicles.

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The reported assault has raised fresh concerns over the security situation in north-western Nigeria, although the claimed death of four soldiers could not be independently confirmed at the time of reporting.

Security expert Bashar Altine, who confirmed the incident, said four soldiers were feared killed during the exchange of fire after the militants entered Kebbe at about 10am.

The Sokoto State Police Command also confirmed the attack. Its spokesperson, Ahmed Rufai, said the command was still gathering information and could not confirm whether there had been casualties.

Attempts to obtain confirmation from Lieutenant Colonel Olaniyi Osoba, spokesperson for the Nigerian Army’s 8 Division, were unsuccessful as of the time of reporting.

According to Altine, the heavily armed attackers initially engaged soldiers stationed at a military base on the outskirts of the town before moving towards Sabon Gari in central Kebbe.

The militants reportedly broke into shops and stole large quantities of mobile phones and bread.

Altine said the attackers also opened fire on a military vehicle fitted with a mounted rocket-propelled grenade, damaging three tyres and shattering its windscreen.

The militants subsequently moved to General Hospital, Kebbe, where they allegedly smashed the windows of vehicles parked within the hospital premises, including an ambulance and a vehicle belonging to the Divisional Police Officer.

“ They also seized mobile phones belonging to patients at the hospital,” Altine said.

The attackers were also accused of taking four motorcycles belonging to residents before beginning their withdrawal from the town later in the day.

Altine said the militants left through the direction of the police station and headed towards communities west of Kebbe.

“Reports from villages west of Kebbe indicate that they entered Ungushi town, one of the districts in Kebbe Local Government Area,” he said.

There was, however, no immediate evidence that any of the attackers had been killed during the confrontation with the soldiers.

“As of the time of writing this report, we have not seen the body of even one Lakurawa fighter that the soldiers succeeded in killing,” Altine said.

The uncertainty surrounding the reported military casualties underscores the need for official confirmation as security agencies continue to assess the incident.

The attack also comes against a backdrop of sustained military operations against Lakurawa and other armed groups across Sokoto and neighbouring Kebbi State.

In June, troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA reportedly repelled an attack by suspected Lakurawa fighters in Magonho, Tangaza Local Government Area, while separate operations have targeted the group’s positions along the Sokoto-Kebbi border.

In May, troops also reported killing two suspected Lakurawa members in Tangaza after responding to an attack on a Nigerian Immigration Service facility. (Punch Newspapers)

The group has remained a significant security concern in the region.

A United Nations report identified Lakurawa as operating in several local government areas of Sokoto and Kebbi and noted its reported links to Islamic State Sahel Province.

The scale of Friday’s reported assault, particularly the number of motorcycles used and the movement of the attackers into a populated town, is likely to intensify scrutiny of security arrangements in the affected communities.

The immediate priority for authorities will be to establish the confirmed casualty figures, secure Kebbe and surrounding communities, and determine the movements and identity of the attackers.

For residents, the incident has once again brought the threat of armed violence directly into a community’s commercial and public spaces, with shops, a hospital and vehicles reportedly caught in the disruption.

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The reported Lakurawa attack remains under investigation, with the police and military yet to provide a full official account of the casualties and damage.