Survivors Recount Horror After Bandits Kill Dozens in Yobe

Survivors recount horror after ‘bandits’ kill dozens in Nigeria’s Kaswadaji.

Kaswadaji, a rural village in Nigeria, has been left devastated after a deadly attack by armed bandits that local sources say may have killed more than 70 people.

Footage captured on Sunday shows mourners standing over shallow graves, while others flee the area. Burnt-out homes destroyed vehicles and charred trees line the largely deserted village.

“I was working when the bandits stormed the area. I ran, and although they shot at me, I was fortunate not to be hit. I pretended to be dead as the attackers continued targeting me; some even came over and stepped on me to see if I had died,” a survivor said.

“When I eventually rose from the spot, an elderly woman told me to go and see those who had been slaughtered nearby. I was completely disoriented,” he added, claiming the attackers deliberately destroyed food supplies.

The man further alleged that the assailants used deception to reach their targets.

“Those who attacked us were disguised in what looked like Nigerian Army uniforms. The attackers strongly resembled members of the Fulani ethnic group,” he said.

Another survivor recounted fleeing from his farm when the attack began.

“I was working on my farm when one of my sons saw the attackers coming into the village. When they pulled out their guns to kill me, I ran to a nearby river and jumped in to save myself,” he said.

Initial police figures put the death toll at around 30. However, local leaders and church officials say between 40 and 70 people may have been killed, with some bodies still unrecovered because parts of the village remain inaccessible due to extensive fire damage.

The attack occurred less than 20 kilometres from Papiri, where more than 300 students and teachers were abducted in November 2025.