Islamic State Attack on Nigerian Village Kills at Least 29, Targeting Football Viewers
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria — April 28, 2026 — The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on a village in northeastern Nigeria that killed at least 29 people, with militants opening fire on young people gathered at a football pitch before burning houses, places of worship and motorcycles, local officials and residents have confirmed.
The attack occurred on Sunday evening, April 26, in Guyaku village, located in the Gombi local government area of Adamawa state, near the border with Cameroon . State Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, who visited the scene on Monday, described the assault as an “affront to our humanity” .
Train Collision in Indonesia’s Bekasi Kills at Least 15, Dozens Injured | Syrian Court Begins Proceedings Against Assad and Allies in Historic Transitional Justice Trial.
“My heart breaks for the people of Guyaku,” Fintiri said in a social media post during his visit to the bereaved community . The governor’s media office confirmed that the attack lasted several hours before the militants withdrew .
Attackers Targeted Young People at Football Pitch
Witnesses said the gunmen specifically targeted a football pitch where villagers had gathered to watch a match. “Our people converged at a football pitch in Guyaku community … were attacked by insurgents who entered with guns and began shooting randomly,” resident Philip Agabus told AFP .
The dead included not only those watching the match but also “some ladies” who were present at the gathering, another local, Joshua Usman, told AFP . After the shooting, the attackers set fire to residential buildings, places of worship and dozens of motorcycles belonging to residents .
Surveying the damage in the area, the governor’s spokesperson wrote on Facebook that the “atmosphere in the community remains tense, with grief and fear evident” . Many families “have abandoned their homes over concerns of further attacks,” the spokesperson added .
IS Claims Responsibility
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on the Telegram messaging app, according to Reuters and Associated Press news agencies . The group did not specify its motive for the assault .
There are two major IS-backed armed groups operating in Nigeria—Boko Haram and its rival splinter faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP)—but it was not immediately clear which one carried out the Guyaku attack .
Governor Promises Enhanced Security Operations
In response to the attack, Governor Fintiri announced that security operations in the area would be intensified immediately. “We are intensifying security operations immediately to restore peace and ensure every resident feels safe in their home again,” he posted on X .
Modern World Order Explained: Power, Alliances & Global Systems.
The governor also called on the federal government and security agencies to take decisive action to end the recurring violence in the state .
Broader Security Crisis and Recent Violence
The Guyaku attack was one of two major security incidents in Nigeria on Sunday. On the same day, armed attackers raided an orphanage in north-central Nigeria and abducted 23 children . Fifteen of the children were later rescued, and the government said “intensive operations” were under way to secure the safe return of the remaining eight victims and apprehend the perpetrators .
The assault also came less than two weeks after a separate airstrike incident in neighboring Yobe state that killed over 100 civilians. On April 11, a Nigerian Air Force strike targeting Boko Haram jihadis hit a local market near the Borno-Yobe border, killing more than 100 people including children, according to Amnesty International and local reports . The Yobe State Government confirmed that the strike targeted a Boko Haram stronghold but acknowledged that “some people … who went to the Jilli weekly market were affected” .
Targeted Military Losses Earlier in April
The attack on civilians follows a series of major losses for Nigeria’s military earlier this month. On April 9, insurgents launched a coordinated attack on the 29 Task Force Brigade headquarters in Benisheikh, Borno State, killing the brigade commander, Brigadier General Oseni Braimah, along with several other troops .
President Bola Tinubu expressed profound sorrow over the troops’ deaths, describing them as “unforgettable and irreplaceable” heroes . The President framed the attack as an act of desperation by a weakened insurgency, saying the military had been conducting sustained land and air offensives that had neutralized many fighters and commanders .
Earlier on April 14, the commanding officer of the 242 Battalion, Colonel I.A. Mohammed, was killed along with over 10 soldiers in Monguno, Borno State, when their vehicles ran into improvised explosive devices followed by an ambush by insurgents .
Longstanding Insurgency
Since 2009, the jihadist insurgency in northeastern Nigeria, led primarily by Boko Haram and its rival faction ISWAP, has left tens of thousands of people dead and millions displaced, according to the United Nations . The conflict has spilled over into neighboring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, and aid groups have documented over a decade of violence .
In February 2026, the United States deployed troops to Nigeria to provide technical and training support to the country’s soldiers in fighting armed groups . Late last year, the US launched “powerful and deadly” strikes against militants linked to IS in northwestern Nigeria .
The violence persists as Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, prepares for general elections less than a year away. The security crisis has become increasingly scrutinized both abroad and at home .
SOURCES / INPUTS
Al Jazeera: Gunmen kill at least 29 in Nigeria’s northeast Adamawa State
Newswatch (Nigeria): Attack in Borno: Army General killed, Tinubu laments
Arab News: Daesh claims responsibility for attack that killed dozens in Nigeria
NASA Moon Mission Reaches Back Home: Artemis II Crew Returns to Earth After Historic Lunar Flyby.
Italian 19-year-old dominates Shanghai Grand Prix from pole to finish, leading Mercedes one-two ahead of Lewis Hamilton’s first Ferrari podium | Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Formula 1 Grands Prix Cancelled Due to Middle East Conflict.
