Federal silence fuelling banditry in Zamfara, says concerned community group
By Kunle Sanni –
The Zamfara Circle Community Initiative has raised alarm over the worsening insecurity in Zamfara State, declaring the region the epicentre of Nigeria’s banditry crisis and warning that it can no longer be treated in isolation.
At a world press conference in Gusau on Tuesday, the group’s chairman, Dr. Aminu Lawal, lamented the deteriorating security situation, accusing the Federal Government of abandoning Zamfara to armed bandits. He noted that in the past 18 months, 455 villages had been attacked, over 3,200 people kidnapped, and more than 230 lives lost.
Dr. Lawal referenced recent atrocities, including the massacre of 35 residents in Banga ward, Kauran Namoda LGA, and the abduction of 53 people—mostly women and children. Bandits reportedly demanded N50 million ransom but released only 18 victims after four months; the others were said to have been executed.
He added that those who regained freedom were severely malnourished and left without medical attention. “The silence from both the state and federal governments is deafening,” Lawal stated.
The group also highlighted attacks on Waramu in Anka LGA, which was completely razed, and the destruction of Chediya in Tsafe. In Gusau, over 5,000 people were displaced from Fegin Mahe, while more than 50,000 residents reportedly fled 11 communities in Bukkuyum LGA due to continued violence.
Zamfara Circle expressed concern over reports that bandits had begun imposing gold levies on communities in Zurmi LGA, describing it as a troubling sign of territorial dominance and weakening state control.
The group accused the Federal Government of selective intervention, noting that incidents in Benue, Plateau, and Borno states had received swifter federal response, including recent presidential attention to flood victims in Adamawa and a boat accident in Niger State—both occurring the same day as the Banga massacre.
Dr. Lawal stressed that despite delivering over 298,000 votes for President Bola Tinubu in the last elections, Zamfara was being neglected. “There’s no presence of security in over 80% of Zamfara’s hinterlands. Our people are left to either negotiate with bandits or take up arms to defend themselves,” he said.
