2.2.1. Adamawa

Table of contents

2.2.1. Adamawa

Adamawa state is comprised of the following 21 LGAs: Demsa, Fufore, Ganye, Girei, Gombi, Guyuk, Hong, Jada, Lamurde, Madagali, Maiha, Mayo-Belwa, Michika, Mubi North, Mubi South, Numan, Song, Shelleng, Toungo,625 Yola North and Yola South.626 The capital city is Yola. 627

The main ethnic groups include Fulani, Verre, Chamba, Mumuye, Dabanci, Dangsa, Higgi, Nyandang, Sukur, Margi, Gudu, Hona, Mboi, Ga’anda, Yungur, Bwatiye, Mbula, Bala, Bille, Sate, Koma, Bura, Lala, Gwaba, Njanyi, Fali, Gude, Holma, Lunguda, Kanakuru, Jen, Matakam, Laka, Wula, Lilba, Kwah, Waja, Tambo, LiboMwama, Kilba, Viengo and others.628

UNFPA and the US Census Bureau projected the population of Adamawa in 2022 at 4 902 055, based on figures from the 2006 census figures.629

a) Conflict dynamics and main actors

For a general overview on actors in Nigeria, please see section 1.1 Main Actors.

Alongside Borno and Yobe states, Adamawa is one of the main bases of Boko Haram and ISWAP in Nigeria. ISWAP has assigned the state’s north to its Faruq wilaya (province) and has expanded its operations there.630 A July 2024 report by the consulting firm Nextier identified five LGAs in Adamawa (Madagali, Michika, Mubi North, Mubi South and Maiha),631 all located in the state’s north,632 as being part of what it called the ‘Northeast Belt of Insurgency’.633 In 2025, heightened insurgent activity was seen in Hong LGA.634

As of July 2025, the situation in Adamawa state was described as being marked by insecurity.635 During the first half of 2025, insurgent activity focused on Hong LGA,636 where individual armed attacks in January637 and February 2025638 were followed by a wave of attacks between April and June 2025 that killed dozens of people,639 including at least 17 within the space of two weeks in April.640 A number of these attacks occurred in villages bordering the Sambisa forest,641 a Boko Haram stronghold.642 Boko Haram/ISWAP repeatedly attacked the villages of Banga643 (a Christian community)644 and Kopre (Kwapre).645 Attacks were carried out by gunmen on motorbikes646 and involved the use of explosives against vigilantes and police.647

Meanwhile, deadly communal clashes erupted between ethnic Setti of Numan LGA and Kpasham of Demsa LGA (March 2024)648 and between ethnic Bachama and Tsobo in Lamurde LGA (early July 2025).649 Moreover, armed robberies occurred in Yola city,650 in Girei LGA,651 and along the Numan–Gombe road axis,652 including by youths affiliated with the ‘Shila Boys’ gang.653 The state also saw over a dozen kidnappings between mid-2023 and mid-2025,654 with villagers655 and Catholic clergymen among those targeted.656

b) Security incidents and impact on the population

In the period from 1 January 2024 to 15 August 2025, ACLED recorded 73 security incidents in Adamawa state that resulted in a total of 123 fatalities. Of these incidents, 26 were coded as battles, 3 as explosion/remote violence, 10 as riots, and 34 as violence against civilians.657

Imported image pandoc_image_10.png

Figure 3: Evolution of security events coded as battles, explosions/remote violence, riots, and violence against civilians in Adamawa state, 1 January 2024 – 31 August 2025, based on ACLED data.658

Security incidents were recorded by ACLED in 18 LGAs of the state, with the highest number documented in Hong LGA (16 incidents), followed by Madagali (13) and Fufore and Yola-North LGAs (6 incidents each). No incidents were recorded in three LGAs. According to ACLED, Boko Haram and unidentified armed groups (coded as either ‘Actor1’ or ‘Actor2’) were involved in the majority of incidents coded as violence against civilians.659

In Hong LGA, insurgent attacks resulted in dozens of fatalities among local residents, including in Banga and Larh villages (between six660 and seven deaths on 15 April 2025661 and at least six more on 11 June 2025662) and Kopre on 26 April 2025 (between 10663 and 12 deaths among hunters and CJTF members).664 Communal clashes caused at least five fatalities in Numan/Demsa LGA (March 2024)665 and – depending on sources – two,666 three,667 or 10 or more fatalities in Lamurde LGA (early July 2025).668 Kidnappers targeted dozens of people during the reference period.669

Conflict-related infrastructure damage - The destruction of multiple civilian structures during insurgent attacks in Hong LGA in February,670 mid-April671 and June 2025 was reported.672 In the context of communal tensions and violence, several houses were burnt in Guyuk LGA in March 2025673 and early July 2025, while more than 20 houses were burnt in Lamurde LGA in July 2025.674

Road security - No information could be found during the reference period.

Displacement, movement and return - As of November 2024, IOM estimated the number of IDPs in Adamawa state at 200 211,675 compared to 196 189 as of September 2024. IOM lists insurgency (72 %) and communal clashes (27 %) as the main reasons for displacement in the state.676 Attacks on five communities in Hong in April 2025 prompted the displacement of most residents.677 As of August 2024, there were 882 021 returnees (IDP returnees and returnees from abroad) in Adamawa state.678

c) State response in maintaining law and order

The NAF reported some gains during counter-insurgency operations in Adamawa in October 2024, although militant attacks on security forces and civilians continued in the region.679 Counter-insurgency operations again intensified in early July 2025.680 Meanwhile, according to local sources in Hong LGA interviewed by media during the second quarter of 2025, the situation in villages bordering the Sambisa forest was marked by a lack of adequate security presence681 and responsiveness of security forces.682 In the context of efforts to combat crime, coordinated security operations led to the rescue of a number of victims of kidnappings and child trafficking,683 as well as to the arrest of hundreds of individuals suspected of kidnapping, armed robbery, involvement in the Shila Boys gang, and other criminal acts.684

  • 625

    Nigeria, Federal Government of Nigeria, States, Adamawa, n.d., url

  • 626

    ALGON, Local Government Areas, 12 July 2024, url

  • 627

    Nigeria, Federal Government of Nigeria, States, Adamawa, n.d., url

  • 628

    Nigeria, Federal Government of Nigeria, States, Adamawa, n.d., url

  • 629

    UNFPA and US Census Bureau, Nigeria – Subnational Population Statistics, 2022, modified 11 September 2024, url

  • 630

    Samuel, M. and Stoddard, E., Resurgent jihadist violence in northeast Nigeria part of a worrying regional trend, TNH, 2 June 2025, url

  • 631

    Nextier, Nigeria’s Northeast Belt of Insurgency and the Challenge of Refugees, 17 July 2024, url, p. 1

  • 632

    UNOCHA, Nigeria: Reference map of Adamawa state, 24 December 2018, url

  • 633

    Nextier, Nigeria’s Northeast Belt of Insurgency and the Challenge of Refugees, 17 July 2024, url, p. 1

  • 634

    See, for example, Vanguard, Confusion, tears, anger as insurgents attack many Adamawa communities, 13 June 2025, url; Daily Trust, Residents flee as Boko Haram intensifies attacks on Adamawa villages, 29 April 2025, url

  • 635

    Daily Post, Insecurity: Adamawa Gov, Fintiri imposes 24-hour curfew on LG, 12 July 2025, url

  • 636

    Vanguard, Confusion, tears, anger as insurgents attack many Adamawa communities, 13 June 2025, url

  • 637

    Daily Post, 2 residents hit by stray bullets in attack on Adamawa community, 24 January 2025, url

  • 638

    Daily Trust, Residents flee as Boko Haram intensifies attacks on Adamawa villages, 29 April 2025, url

  • 639

    Vanguard, Confusion, tears, anger as insurgents attack many Adamawa communities, 13 June 2025, url; Guardian (The) Nigeria, Adamawa villagers bury their dead in silence after Boko Haram attack, 21 May 2025, url; Daily Trust, Residents flee as Boko Haram intensifies attacks on Adamawa villages, 29 April 2025, url

  • 640

    Daily Trust, Residents flee as Boko Haram intensifies attacks on Adamawa villages, 29 April 2025, url; International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Nigeria: January 2024 – August 2025, n.d., url

  • 641

    Vanguard, Confusion, tears, anger as insurgents attack many Adamawa communities, 13 June 2025, url; Daily Trust, Residents flee as Boko Haram intensifies attacks on Adamawa villages, 29 April 2025, url

  • 642

    Guardian (The) Nigeria, Boko Haram kills 10, displaces farmers in Adamawa village, 28 April 2025, url

  • 643

    Vanguard, Confusion, tears, anger as insurgents attack many Adamawa communities, 13 June 2025, url; Reuters, ISWAP claims responsibility for deadly attacks in Nigeria, 21 April 2025, url

  • 644

    Reuters, ISWAP claims responsibility for deadly attacks in Nigeria, 21 April 2025, url

  • 645

    Daily Trust, Residents flee as Boko Haram intensifies attacks on Adamawa villages, 29 April 2025, url; Daily Post, Suspected Boko Haram terrorists attack Adamawa community, raze buildings, 26 February 2025, url; IOM, Flash Report Population Displacement: Adamawa and Borno States — Nigeria 01 - 07 January 2024, 12 January 2024, url

  • 646

    Guardian (The) Nigeria, Adamawa villagers bury their dead in silence after Boko Haram attack, 21 May 2025, url; Guardian (The) Nigeria, Boko Haram kills 10, displaces farmers in Adamawa village, 28 April 2025, url

  • 647

    Vanguard, Confusion, tears, anger as insurgents attack many Adamawa communities, 13 June 2025, url

  • 648

    Vanguard, 5 killed in Adamawa communal clash, 14 March 2024, url

  • 649

    Premium Times, Adamawa government imposes curfew after 10 die in communal clash over farmland, 14 July 2025, url

  • 650

    Peoples Gazette, Adamawa police nab three suspected armed robbers, recover weapons, 29 December 2024, url

  • 651

    Guardian (The) Nigeria, Adamawa police arrest seven ‘Shilla gangsters’ for armed robbery, 10 June 2025, url; Nigerian Tribune, Police arrest four suspected robbers in Adamawa, 13 February 2024, url

  • 652

    Punch, Police nab wanted armed robber terrorising Adamawa – Gombe road, 26 June 2025, url

  • 653

    Punch, Adamawa police nab seven for alleged robbery, 11 June 2025, url; Guardian (The) Nigeria, Adamawa police arrest seven ‘Shilla gangsters’ for armed robbery, 10 June 2025, url; Peoples Gazette, Adamawa police nab three suspected armed robbers, recover weapons, 29 December 2024, url

  • 654

    Punch, Police rescue four kidnap victims, 13 trafficked children in Adamawa, 21 July 2025, url; Vanguard, Reverend Fathers kidnapped in Adamawa, 22 February 2025, url; SBM Intelligence, Grim Reaping: Economics of Nigeria’s Kidnap Industry–A 2024 Update, 29 August 2024, url

  • 655

    Daily Trust, Residents flee as Boko Haram intensifies attacks on Adamawa villages, 29 April 2025, url

  • 656

    THISDAY, Police Rescue Two Priests, Other Kidnap Victims in Adamawa, Bayelsa, 11 March 2025, url

  • 657

    EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, Africa, data covering 1 January 2024 to 31 August 2025, as of 10 September 2025, url

  • 658

    EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, Africa, data covering 1 January 2024 to 31 August 2025, as of 10 September 2025, url

  • 659

    EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, Africa, data covering 1 January 2024 to 31 August 2025, as of 10 September, url

  • 660

    Daily Trust, Residents flee as Boko Haram intensifies attacks on Adamawa villages, 29 April 2025, url

  • 661

    Daily Post, Adamawa: Boko Haram hit Hong again, destroy facilities, hoist flags, 19 April 2025, url

  • 662

    Vanguard, Confusion, tears, anger as insurgents attack many Adamawa communities, 13 June 2025, url

  • 663

    Reuters, At least 22 killed in weekend attacks in Nigeria's northeast, 28 April 2025, url; Guardian (The) Nigeria, Boko Haram kills 10, displaces farmers in Adamawa village, 28 April 2025, url

  • 664

    Daily Trust, Residents flee as Boko Haram intensifies attacks on Adamawa villages, 29 April 2025, url

  • 665

    Vanguard, 5 killed in Adamawa communal clash, 14 March 2024, url

  • 666

    SARI Global, Weekly Update: Nigeria (July 4 - 10, 2025), 11 July 2025, url, p. 4

  • 667

    Daily Post, Communal Clash: Adamawa Assembly seeks security task forces in Lamurde, Numan LGAs, 22 July 2025, url

  • 668

    Premium Times, Adamawa government imposes curfew after 10 die in communal clash over farmland, 14 July 2025, url

  • 669

    Daily Trust, Residents flee as Boko Haram intensifies attacks on Adamawa villages, 29 April 2025, url; THISDAY, Police Rescue Two Priests, Other Kidnap Victims in Adamawa, Bayelsa, 11 March 2025, url

  • 670

    Daily Trust, Residents flee as Boko Haram intensifies attacks on Adamawa villages, 29 April 2025, url

  • 671

    Reuters, ISWAP claims responsibility for deadly attacks in Nigeria, 21 April 2025, url; Daily Post, Adamawa: Boko Haram hit Hong again, destroy facilities, hoist flags, 19 April 2025, url

  • 672

    Vanguard, Confusion, tears, anger as insurgents attack many Adamawa communities, 13 June 2025, url

  • 673

    Daily Post, Houses destroyed as Adamawa villages clash over boundary, 15 March 2025, url

  • 674

    SARI Global, Weekly Update: Nigeria (July 4 - 10, 2025), 11 July 2025, url, p. 4

  • 675

    IOM, Nigeria — Displacement Report Round 49: Needs Monitoring in North-East Nigeria — March 2025, 7 March 2025, url, p. 6; As of 1 August 2025, UNHCR mentions the same IDP numbers. UNHCR, Nigeria – Forcibly Displaced Populations, 13 August 2025, url

  • 676

    IOM, Nigeria — Displacement Report Round 49: Needs Monitoring in North-East Nigeria — March 2025, 7 March 2025, url, pp. 6, 9

  • 677

    Daily Trust, Residents flee as Boko Haram intensifies attacks on Adamawa villages, 29 April 2025, url

  • 678

    IOM, Nigeria — Displacement Report Round 49: Needs Monitoring in North-East Nigeria — March 2025, 7 March 2025, url, p. 20

  • 679

    International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Nigeria: January 2024 – August 2025, n.d., url

  • 680

    SARI Global, Weekly Update: Nigeria (July 4 - 10, 2025), 11 July 2025, url, p. 1

  • 681

    Vanguard, Confusion, tears, anger as insurgents attack many Adamawa communities, 13 June 2025, url; Guardian (The) Nigeria, Boko Haram kills 10, displaces farmers in Adamawa village, 28 April 2025, url

  • 682

    Guardian (The) Nigeria, Boko Haram kills 10, displaces farmers in Adamawa village, 28 April 2025, url

  • 683

    Punch, Police rescue four kidnap victims, 13 trafficked children in Adamawa, 21 July 2025, url; THISDAY, Police Rescue Two Priests, Other Kidnap Victims in Adamawa, Bayelsa, 11 March 2025, url

  • 684

    Punch, Police rescue four kidnap victims, 13 trafficked children in Adamawa, 21 July 2025, url