Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria — At least 25 people have been killed in two separate attacks blamed on jihadist fighters in northeastern Nigeria’s Adamawa State, local officials and residents confirmed on Thursday, February 26, 2026.
The violence occurred in Madagali and Hong, two towns located near Nigeria’s border with Cameroon in West Africa. The area has experienced repeated attacks since 2009, when the extremist group Boko Haram launched an armed insurgency against the Nigerian state.
In Madagali, gunmen believed to be members of Boko Haram stormed a local market on Tuesday evening, February 24, 2026. A senior official from Madagali Local Government Area, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly, described the scene.
“Gunmen, we believed to be Boko Haram on many motorcycles… attacked the market. They opened fire on people and killed 21,” he said.
He added that search efforts were still ongoing. “We are still searching for more bodies as some might have died in the bush from gunshot wounds while trying to find safety.”
According to the official, the attackers also looted the market, taking food supplies and motorcycles before fleeing.
In a separate but related incident in neighbouring Hong, four more people were killed. A local resident, Ezekiel Musa, said the attack happened shortly after the assailants left Madagali.
“Boko Haram attacked us after they left the town. We saw the corpses of three soldiers and one woman was killed,” Musa told Agence France-Presse.
He said security personnel have since been deployed to Hong, but fear remains high among residents. “Now the town has security personnel but some of us have already started leaving the town because of fear of what happened.”
Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, who leads the government of Adamawa State in northeastern Nigeria, condemned the violence in an official statement but did not provide an updated casualty figure.
“We will not let terrorists undermine our efforts to restore peace and stability,” the governor said.
“I warn perpetrators: desist from these senseless attacks or face the full weight of our collective resolve.”
Okay News reports that the attacks highlight the continuing insecurity in northeastern Nigeria, despite years of military operations against armed groups.
Since 2009, the insurgency led primarily by Boko Haram and its rival faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province, has resulted in more than 40,000 deaths and displaced about two million people across northeastern Nigeria, according to the United Nations. The conflict has also spread into neighbouring Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, prompting the creation of a regional military coalition to counter the insurgents.
However, that coalition has weakened in recent years. Niger withdrew from the joint force following diplomatic tensions with Nigeria after a 2023 military coup in Niger.
Nigeria continues to confront multiple armed groups across its northern region, further complicating security efforts. Although military crackdowns have been intensified, attacks such as those in Madagali and Hong show that insurgent networks remain capable of carrying out deadly operations.
Earlier in February 2026, the United States Africa Command announced that about 200 United States troops would be deployed to Nigeria to provide technical and training support to Nigerian soldiers combating jihadist groups.
For residents of Adamawa State, the immediate concern is safety. With some families already leaving affected towns, local authorities now face the urgent task of restoring confidence and preventing further displacement in a region that has endured more than a decade of conflict.
