This is the latest raids in northwest Nigeria...

Suspected jihadists killed more than 40 people across several remote villages in northwest Nigeria this week, local clergy told the AFP on Wednesday, as authorities in Africa's most populous country grapple with a surge in insecurity in the largely Muslim north.

The attacks, which began late on Sunday, struck at least nine villages in Kebbi state and neighbouring Niger state, clergymen said.

No group has claimed responsibility, but residents and police blamed a local jihadist faction known as Mahmuda.

AFP said clergy member, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said at least 24 deaths had been confirmed in areas under his oversight, adding that reports indicated the toll had exceeded 40.

The news agency said a second Christian leader estimated the number of victims at around 40, describing the killings as indiscriminate

“They killed everybody in sight, including Christians, Muslims and traditional worshippers,” he said, adding that churches, homes, livestock and food stores were destroyed.

The attackers had been rampaging through the area for three days, he said, leaving residents unable to return to bury the dead.

At least 500 people have fled the violence and are sheltering in churches and schools in Yauri town in Kebbi state.

The Mahmuda group, active in northwest Nigeria, is linked to Mahmud al-Nigeri, a senior figure in the Ansaru jihadist group.

Ansaru, which split from Boko Haram, is aligned with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).

Kebbi state, bordering Benin and Niger, has seen a rise in jihadist attacks since 2025.

According to conflict monitor ACLED, violence in the region has surged, driven by groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and Islamic State.