Nigerian army murders over 100 'bandits' in northwest raid

(MENAFN) The Nigerian military killed more than 100 members of an armed criminal gang during coordinated air and ground operations in the northwestern state of Zamfara over the weekend, according to a UN-linked conflict monitoring report seen by AFP on Monday.

Locally known as “bandits,” these armed groups have long terrorized communities in northwest and central Nigeria, carrying out village raids, kidnappings for ransom, and burning homes after looting.

The raid took place early Sunday in Bukkuyum local government area, where fighter jets and ground troops targeted over 400 bandits gathered at a camp in Makakkari forest. The report suggests the operation may have been in response to recent attacks, including one on Adabka village the previous Friday that left 13 security personnel dead and residents kidnapped.

The crisis, which began as a conflict over land and water between herders and farmers, has evolved into organized crime, with gangs profiting from cattle rustling, kidnappings, and informal taxation of farmers and miners. The ongoing violence is exacerbating malnutrition in the northwest as attacks force people away from their farms, amid the effects of climate change and reduced Western aid.

Despite military campaigns since 2015 and a state militia created two years ago, banditry continues and is spreading into central Nigeria. These gangs are increasingly cooperating with extremist groups waging a separate insurgency in the northeast. In July, Nigerian troops killed at least 95 bandits in a similar raid in Niger state.

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