Kidnappings and gang attacks rise in Nigeria
In northwestern Nigeria, attacks by armed groups and kidnappings for ransom are increasing, while violence is spreading to regions previously considered relatively safe. In the village of Bia-Buki in Zamfara State, about 70 people, including children, were killed during an attack in June, according to a local resident, Fatima. Among the dead were her husband and six of his siblings.
As BBC News reports, citing Fatima, the attackers arrived at around 2 a.m., surrounded the village in several groups and opened fire indiscriminately. The woman hid in the forest with other residents and later moved to an informal camp in the state capital, Gusau, where she lives with seven children.
Displaced residents of Zamfara
The UN estimates that about 800,000 people have been forced from their homes because of violence in northwestern Nigeria. The camp in Gusau, where, according to Fatima, more than a thousand people are staying, lacks food and adequate places to sleep. She also says that bandits abducted 22 children who had been sent to collect firewood for sale.
Attacks in the region are mostly carried out by groups that locals call bandits. They travel on motorcycles, attack villages or ambush travelers, kidnap people for ransom and rob them. According to the BBC, they also demand money from communities in exchange for allowing farmers to cultivate their fields. The BBC notes that most members of such gangs are from the Fulbe ethnic group, which traditionally engages in livestock farming.
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Kidnappings spread south
According to the international conflict-monitoring group Acled, the number of incidents in areas of bandit activity in northwestern Nigeria rose by 78% in the first half of the year compared with the same period a year earlier. Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission also reported that the number of kidnappings nationwide had doubled during that period.
In May, armed men on motorcycles attacked three schools in Oyo State in the southwest of the country. They abducted 39 children, the youngest of whom was two years old, as well as seven teachers. One teacher was killed during the attack, another was killed and footage of the killing was circulated online. After 56 days, 44 hostages who had remained in captivity were released. Authorities said no ransom was paid and that the release followed a security forces operation. Three men were sentenced to life imprisonment; they admitted belonging to a group linked to Boko Haram.
The administration of President Bola Tinubu increased the defense and security budget by 10% in December 2025 and approved the recruitment of 28,000 new military personnel. At the same time, thousands of residents in Zamfara joined government-backed self-defense units. Malik Samuel, an expert at Good Governance Africa, warned that arming civilians could create new risks after the crisis ends.
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