38 killed as 'bandits' storm Nigeria’s Zamfara village in brutal attack

At least 38 people were killed after armed men stormed Dutse Dan Ajiya village in northwestern Nigeria’s Zamfara State, local authorities said on Friday. The attack took place overnight from Thursday into Friday in the remote community, which officials described as having limited access routes.

Yazid Abubakar, spokesperson for the Zamfara police, said normalcy had been restored in the area. However, Hamisu Faru, a local legislator, put the death toll higher at 50. He said the attackers, believed to be bandits, emerged from the Gando forest, surrounded the village and opened indiscriminate fire on residents, killing those who attempted to flee.

Armed criminal groups, commonly referred to as “bandits,” operate from forest hideouts across Zamfara and neighbouring states including Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kebbi and Niger. They frequently raid villages, abduct residents for ransom and burn homes.

Despite years of military operations in the region, attacks have persisted. According to AFP, violence by both bandit groups and jihadist factions has surged in recent months, heightening international concern.

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Since 2009, Nigeria’s insurgency led by Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has killed more than 40,000 people and displaced around two million in the country’s northeast, according to United Nations estimates.