Agency Report
ZAMFARA, NIGERIA — Nigerian military forces have killed more than 100 armed bandits in a coordinated air and ground assault in Zamfara State, a United Nations conflict monitoring report seen by AFP has revealed.
The operation, launched in the early hours of Sunday in Bukkuyum Local Government Area, targeted a gathering of over 400 bandits at their Makakkari forest camp. Fighter jets struck the location while ground troops closed in, neutralising scores of militants.
The raid is believed to have been prompted by a surge in kidnappings and violent attacks in recent weeks, including Friday’s assault on Adabka village, where bandits abducted residents and killed 13 security personnel.
“These bandits were planning another attack on a farming community when troops struck, killing more than 100,” the report stated.
Persistent Crisis
Northwest Nigeria has faced years of unrelenting violence from armed gangs — locally referred to as “bandits” — who raid villages, abduct residents for ransom, steal cattle, and burn homes. Initially rooted in farmer-herder disputes over land and water, the crisis has escalated into large-scale organised crime.
The gangs now levy taxes on farmers and artisanal miners, worsening poverty in the already underdeveloped region. Frequent attacks have forced thousands from their farmlands, aggravating a growing food insecurity and malnutrition crisis.
Despite sustained military operations since 2015 and the formation of a state-backed militia in Zamfara two years ago, the violence has persisted — and is spreading beyond the northwest into central Nigeria.
In July, troops killed at least 95 gang members in a similar joint operation in Niger State. Security analysts warn, however, that the military remains overstretched, with bandits reportedly cooperating more with jihadist factions active in the northeast.
The Nigerian Army has yet to comment on the latest operation.