Unknown Gunmen Attack Mayo-Lade
Hong LGA, Adamawa State – May 14, 2025
As the sun dipped below the horizon on May 13, 2025, the quiet town of Mayo-Lade in Hong Local Government Area, Adamawa State, was jolted into chaos. Around 8 p.m., unknown gunmen descended on the community in a coordinated and brutal attack that has left deep scars not only on the physical landscape but in the hearts of residents now grappling with shock, fear, and immense loss.
Three churches EYN Church, ECWA Church, and LCCN Church were set ablaze in an assault that appeared as calculated as it was destructive. Alongside the houses of worship, eight homes were torched, including the residence of an EYN pastor. The attackers also destroyed vehicles, including a motorcycle, a bicycle, and a car, further compounding the losses endured by the community.
By the time the gunfire ceased and the flames dimmed, four people lay dead, victims of a violence that has become disturbingly routine in many parts of northern Nigeria. One person survived a gunshot wound, a rare miracle on a night otherwise defined by terror.
“It was like a nightmare we couldn’t wake up from,” said a local resident, still visibly shaken. “We heard the gunshots, then saw the flames. People were screaming, running—some didn’t make it.”
A Community in Mourning and Fear
The aftermath paints a grim picture: destroyed homes, shattered livelihoods, and a heavy cloud of anxiety hanging over Mayo-Lade. As farming season approaches, a time when communities usually look forward with hope and anticipation, fear has taken root instead. Many residents now wonder if it is safe to remain on their ancestral lands or even step out to tend their farms.
This is not an isolated incident. From Plateau to Benue, from Zamfara to Borno, stories like Mayo-Lade’s echo across Nigeria. Gunmen—often unidentified, unchallenged, and seemingly unbothered—have turned villages, farms, and highways into battlefields. For countless Nigerians, insecurity has become a daily reality, a shadow looming over every aspect of life.
The Broader Crisis of Insecurity
In recent years, Nigeria has faced a deadly convergence of threats—banditry, terrorism, communal clashes, and kidnappings for ransom. Despite repeated assurances from security agencies and the government, the bloodshed continues unabated.
“It’s no longer just about rural attacks,” said a security analyst in Yola. “These incidents reflect a larger failure of intelligence, of community policing, and of political will.”
For the people of Mayo-Lade, the question is no longer when help will come. It’s whether help will come at all.
What Next for Mayo-Lade?
In the wake of the attack, local leaders and humanitarian groups are expected to assess the damages and provide support. Yet, the true cost emotional, psychological, spiritual may never be fully accounted for. Rebuilding burned churches and homes is one thing; restoring a sense of safety and trust in government is another.
“We are praying, but we are also afraid,” said a church elder from one of the destroyed Churches. “We’ve seen too many attacks, and we’re losing hope, as security personnels seem to be overwhelmed by the terrorist.”
A Call to Action
What happened in Mayo-Lade is not just a tragedy; it is a clarion call. Nigeria’s leaders must rise beyond platitudes and photo-ops to take decisive, sustained action. Lives are being lost, communities uprooted, and an entire generation is growing up amidst fear and violence.
Until then, the people of Mayo-Lade, like countless others across Nigeria, are left to pick up the pieces grieving, rebuilding, and praying that the next nightfall won’t bring yet another round of unspeakable horror.
Gun Men attacked Banga and Larh communities in Adamawa State
