A disturbing surge in banditry across Zamfara State has left 164 people abducted and 23 others dead within the first two weeks o...
A disturbing surge in banditry across Zamfara State has left 164 people abducted and 23 others dead within the first two weeks of September, according to a consolidated incident report released by the Zamfara Circle Community Initiative, a civil society organization monitoring insecurity in the state.
The report, which covers the period from September 1 to 14, 2025, documented attacks in 23 villages across eight Local Government Areas (LGAs), including Shinkafi, Tsafe, Bakura, Gummi, Gusau, Talata-Mafara, Anka, and Kaura Namoda.
According to the report, a total of 13 people sustained injuries during the attacks, while no ransom or levy payments were confirmed within the reporting period. Despite the wave of violence, security forces and local vigilante groups recorded some successes, killing at least 12 suspected bandits and facilitating the release of 65 kidnap victims.
In one of the deadliest incidents, five security personnel and ten civilians were killed on September 8 in Lilo village, Gusau LGA. Similarly, on September 12, two people were killed and 17 abducted in Zauma village, Bukuyyum LGA. Community Protection Guards (CPGs) and members of the Nigerian Army were also reported to have killed several bandits in Tsamiyar Gezoji, Anka LGA.
The report highlights a series of coordinated attacks targeting farmers, travelers, and rural dwellers. On September 1, 30 people were kidnapped in Badarawa, Shinkafi LGA. On September 3, 26 people were abducted in Bimasa, Bakura LGA, but were later rescued following a fierce confrontation between community vigilantes and the bandits.
Another notable incident occurred in Shanawa village, also in Shinkafi LGA, where 30 kidnapped victims were reportedly released on the orders of notorious bandit leader, Turji.
Zamfara Circle Chairman, Dr. Aminu Lawal, who signed the report, warned that the attacks reaffirm the persistent threat banditry poses to the stability of rural communities in the state. He emphasized the need for urgent and coordinated responses from both the federal and state governments.
“This pattern of violence across multiple LGAs shows the widespread nature of insecurity in Zamfara. Despite local resistance through vigilantes and CPGs, the region remains dangerously exposed,” Dr. Lawal said.
The organization issued a set of recommendations, calling for increased deployment of security personnel to vulnerable communities, establishment of early warning systems, and immediate psychosocial and medical support for victims. It also urged the federal and state governments to restore full autonomy and functionality to local government administrations, which it described as key to reclaiming ungoverned spaces.
The report further advocates for a comprehensive, inclusive security strategy led by the Zamfara State Government to ensure sustainable peace and the protection of lives and property.
Zamfara has long been a flashpoint in Nigeria's struggle with rural banditry, with cycles of violence, mass abductions, and farmer displacement continuing to threaten the region’s socio-economic stability.
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