More than 50 people were kidnapped in Sabon Garin Damri village, Zamfara State, northwest Nigeria, in a mass abduction attributed to “armed bandits,” according to a private conflict monitoring report created for the United Nations and seen by AFP. The incident, which occurred on Friday, marks the first large-scale abduction in Bakura local government area this year and underscores a disturbing trend of increasingly bold attacks in the region.
Zamfara and other northwestern states have long struggled with insecurity, where armed gangs engage in kidnapping for ransom, looting, and imposing illegal levies on rural communities. What began as conflicts over land and water between herders and farmers has since transformed into organized crime. These gangs exploit the lack of government presence in remote areas, leaving residents vulnerable and exposed.
The report emphasized that there is a strategic shift in the operations of the armed groups, with more frequent mass abductions indicating a worrying escalation. In one particularly brutal incident last month, 33 hostages were killed by bandits despite a ransom of $33,700 being paid, and three infants died while in captivity.
The security situation is further complicated by overlapping crises. The continued violence has forced many villagers to abandon their farms, worsening food insecurity and contributing to a growing malnutrition crisis across the northwest. This has been exacerbated by climate change and reductions in international humanitarian aid.
Since 2011, armed gangs have flourished amid the chaos of regional instability and arms trafficking. In recent years, these “bandits” have also forged closer ties with jihadist groups, including Boko Haram and the emergent Lakurawa faction, increasing the complexity of the conflict.
Though the Nigerian military recently claimed success by killing 95 armed gang members in Niger State, their forces remain overstretched. Analysts warn that while coordinated army-air force operations have improved, misdirected airstrikes have tragically claimed civilian lives.
In a desperate bid to contain the violence, state governments are now recruiting anti-jihadist militias from the northeast to assist in counter-bandit operations. Still, with escalating attacks and deepening humanitarian crises, the northwest remains gripped in turmoil with no clear resolution in sight.
