At least 25 people have been killed in two coordinated jihadist attacks on communities in Nigeria’s northeastern Adamawa state, deepening fears in a region already scarred by years of insurgency.

Local officials and residents said the assaults, in the Madagali and Hong areas near the border with Cameroon, were carried out by suspected Boko Haram fighters, who have waged a brutal campaign across the northeast since 2009.

In Madagali, gunmen riding in on multiple motorcycles stormed a bustling evening market, opening fire on traders and shoppers. A local government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said 21 people were confirmed dead, but warned the toll could rise as search teams comb surrounding farmlands and bush paths for victims who may have fled with gunshot wounds.

Witnesses reported scenes of chaos as people scrambled for cover amid sustained gunfire. The attackers reportedly looted stalls, seizing food supplies and motorcycles before fleeing toward the rugged border region, an area long used by insurgents as a transit and hideout zone.

In a separate incident in neighbouring Hong, four people were killed, including three Nigerian soldiers and a female civilian. Resident Ezekiel Musa said the town came under attack shortly after the militants left another nearby community, suggesting a planned series of raids.

Musa described a climate of fear gripping Hong despite the arrival of additional security personnel. Some residents, he said, have already begun leaving the town, fearing further assaults.

Adamawa state governor Adamu Umaru Fintiri condemned the killings, vowing that authorities would not allow extremist groups to derail efforts to stabilise the region. He warned those behind the violence to halt what he called “senseless attacks” or face a determined response from security forces and local communities.

The latest bloodshed underscores the enduring threat posed by Boko Haram and its rival faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province. According to United Nations estimates, the jihadist conflict in northeastern Nigeria has killed more than 40,000 people and displaced around two million, with violence spilling into Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

Despite years of military operations and a regional task force set up to combat the insurgents, large swathes of the northeast remain vulnerable, with rural markets, highways and remote villages frequently targeted in hit-and-run attacks.