Tarmuwa massacre

Tarmuwa massacre
Part of the Boko Haram insurgency
Location	Tarmuwa, Yobe State, Nigeria
Date	September 3, 2024
Target	Villagers
Attack type	Mass shootings, massacre, looting, arson
Weapons	Firearms, fire
Deaths	130+
Injured	30+
Perpetrators	Islamic State – West Africa Province
No. of participants	50+
Motive	Revenge for villagers telling security operatives about their activities

On September 3, 2024, over 50 armed Islamic State – West Africa Province terrorists attacked Tarmuwa, killing at least 102 villagers.

Background

The Boko Haram insurgency began in 2009, when the group started an armed rebellion against the government of Nigeria. ISWAP claimed that the men of the village were "supporting and coordinating" with the nigerian army and therefore labeled them as "apostates", heading to the village to commit this massacre.

Attack

The attack began when over 50 extremists on motorcycles carried out attacks in the Nigerian local government area Tarmuwa. The extremists looted and set shops and houses ablaze, carried out mass shootings at markets and houses, shot worshippers and killed at least 130 villagers putting up posters threatening to do the same to other villages who commit "treachery".

Responses

The Nigerian police blamed the attack on Boko Haram.

However,ISWAP [Islamic State's regional branch] claimed responsibility in official islamic state Al-Naba newspaper.

Community leader Zanna Umar confirmed that at least 102 villagers were killed, and stated "We are still working to search for more because many people are still missing"

Local chief Buba Adamu stated “This is the first time our community has faced such a devastating attack,” and “We never imagined something like this could happen here.”

Nigerian president Bola Ahmed Tinubu condemned the attack.

Responsibility

On September 12th, the Islamic State, via its weekly Al-Naba newsletter, claimed responsibility for the massacre, stating that their fighters had separated the men from the women and children, before executing at least 130 of them (the men), while at least 30 others were wounded.

The group continued by adding that they left behind a letter at the scene of the massacre accusing the villagers of collaborating with the Nigerian military against the jihadists. The group also accused the villagers of being responsible for the deaths of 9 IS fighters in recent months, as well as requesting for the Nigerian military to set up a military base in the town. IS also alleged that nearby villages had stopped interacting with these accused villagers due to their alleged "collaboration" with the Nigerian military, and that IS fighters had warned them many times to stop assisting the military.

The newsletter also featured 2 gruesome images showing Islamic State members standing over a large pile of dead men.

See also

• List of terrorist incidents in 2024
• List of Islamist terrorist attacks
• List of massacres in Nigeria