THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

Nigerians tell their stories of banditry. 'A month… - inkl Banditry is widespread in Nigeria. It has beendefinedas “a loose collection of various criminal groups involved in kidnap-for-ransom, armed robbery, cattle rustling, rape and sexual violence, pillage and attacks on traders, farmers and travellers, particularly in Nigeria’s northwest region”. This criminal activity has caused deaths, displacement, destruction of property and widespread fear.In 2025 alone, 599 attacks were reported, with 2,742 casualties. This was a sharp increase from 2024, when 256 attacks and 1,585 deaths were recorded. Banditry has alsoextendedits reach to the northwest and southwest of Nigeria. Studieshave examined its costs and implications, and possible mechanisms for addressing it. Still, knowledge about the nature and character of banditry remains limited. As a sociologist, Iinvestigatedthis national security threat with a view to understanding how the victims experienced it. The study unpacks the method and timing of attacks and identities of the bandits, providing insights that can inform security planning. Knowing more about how bandits operate can help government and vulnerable communities t…

Nigeria: Nigerians Tell Their Stories of Banditry. 'A Month Will Not Go By Without Someone Being Killed in This Village.' [The Conversation Africa] Banditry is widespread in Nigeria. It has been defined as "a loose collection of various criminal groups involved in kidnap-for-ransom, armed robbery, cattle rustling, rape and sexual violence, pillage and attacks on traders, farmers and travellers, particularly in Nigeria's northwest region".

Nigerians tell their stories of banditry. 'A month will not go by ... SHARE By Oludayo Tade/TheConversation Contents Rural banditry in Nigeria How bandit attacks happen Victim targeting Moving forward Banditry is widespread in Nigeria. It has been defined as “a loose collection of various criminal groups involved in kidnap-for-ransom, armed robbery, cattle rustling, rape and sexual violence, pillage and attacks on traders, farmers and travellers, particularly in Nigeria’s northwest region”. This criminal activity has caused deaths, displacement, destruction of property and widespread fear. In 2025 alone , 599 attacks were reported, with 2,742 casualties. This was a sharp increase from 2024, when 256 attacks and 1,585 deaths were recorded. Banditry has also extended its reach to the northwest and southwest of Nigeria. Studies have examined its costs and implications, and possible mechanisms for addressing it. Still, knowledge about the nature and character of banditry remains limited. As a sociologist, I investigated this national security threat with a view to understanding how the victims experienced it. The study unpacks the method and timing of attacks and identities of the ban…

'Everyone knows somebody who has been kidnapped': Inside Nigeria's ... Home West Africa Nigeria Share & more Share Share on Bluesky Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn Share via WhatsApp Share via email GUSAU, Nigeria The two men slumped, dejected, against the wall of the house to tell their story. Both had deep gashes on their heads. Ismael’s was v-shaped and looked like he’d been almost scalped. His son next to him nursed a heavily bandaged left hand. They were lucky to be alive. A week before, “bandits” had come to their door late at night demanding their cows. Ismael*, a farmer, told them none were left. He explained how they’d all been stolen in 2019, along with most of his sheep; how these other bandits had come back a few months later to take the remaining animals, his motorbike, even his torch. Since then, it had been a struggle to feed his family. But the armed men weren’t listening. They barged into Ismael’s home in Nahuche, in Nigeria’s northwestern Zamfara State. They forced him and his 18-year-old son Abdullahi outside, where more gunmen were waiting. There was a brief shootout on the outskirts of the village as the local vigilante – known as the Yan Sakai – tried to …

Persistent Banditry and Kidnappings Grip Northwest Nigeria In the vast expanses of Northwest Nigeria, encompassing states like Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, and Kaduna, armed banditry continues to cast a long shadow over communities already strained by poverty and insecurity. As of mid-August 2025, a wave of kidnappings and deadly raids has intensified, with gunmen on motorcycles striking villages under the cover of night, abducting dozens and leaving trails of destruction. Despite military operations claiming significant victories against these criminal gangs, the persistence of such attacks underscores a deepening crisis. This article examines the latest incidents, the human toll, government responses, and the broader implications for regional stability, drawing on reports from local witnesses, security experts, and official statements. Banditry in Northwest Nigeria has evolved from localized herder-farmer conflicts into organized criminal enterprises involving kidnapping for ransom, cattle rustling, and extortion. These groups, often referred to as “bandits” by authorities, operate in remote rural areas where state presence is minimal. Security analyst Lanre Issa-Onilu, a police s…

Nigerians Tell Their Stories of Banditry. 'A Month Will Not Go By ... Banditry is widespread in Nigeria. It has beendefinedas "a loose collection of various criminal groups involved in kidnap-for-ransom, armed robbery, cattle rustling, rape and sexual violence, pillage and attacks on traders, farmers and travellers, particularly in Nigeria's northwest region". This criminal activity has caused deaths, displacement, destruction of property and widespread fear.In 2025 alone, 599 attacks were reported, with 2,742 casualties. This was a sharp increase from 2024, when 256 attacks and 1,585 deaths were recorded. Banditry has alsoextendedits reach to the northwest and southwest of Nigeria. Studieshave examined its costs and implications, and possible mechanisms for addressing it. Still, knowledge about the nature and character of banditry remains limited. As a sociologist, Iinvestigatedthis national security threat with a view to understanding how the victims experienced it. Follow us onWhatsApp|LinkedInfor the latest headlines The study unpacks the method and timing of attacks and identities of the bandits, providing insights that can inform security planning. Knowing more about ho…

Nigeria: Kidnapped, Killed, Extorted - Southwest Cries for Help Until recently, terrorism, banditry and mass abductions were largely associated with other parts of Nigeria. Today, the South-West is increasingly grappling with the same threats, with kidnappings and attacks spreading across highways, rural communities and forest corridors.GEORGE OKOJIE, ADEBAYO WAHEED, ALO ABIOLA, FEMI OYEWESO, DAMILOLA ORIGBEMISUYI and OLAMIDE OJUOKAIYE, report The security situation in the South West Region of Nigeria has never been grimmer in normal times, with residents of the region living in trepidation, fuelled by news and rumours of kidnapping and terrorist attacks occurring without restraint. The sense of insecurity ostensibly engendered by the bandits' activities has created an all-pervasive fear across the land. Unfortunately, many people seemed resigned to fate as the bandits operate with absolute impunity, making demands and posting recorded videos of their abductees at regular intervals. Follow us onWhatsApp|LinkedInfor the latest headlines The growing wave of kidnappings across parts of South-West Nigeria has become one of the most pressing security challenges facing residents, b…

Ruthless Bandits: How Nigeria ignores early warning signs, pays ... January 25, 2026 File image for illustration. The kidnapping of 166 worshippers on Sunday in three churches by bandits in Kurmin Wali community, Afogo Ward of Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, which the police initially denied happened before making a U-turn to admit it took place, marks a new escalation in bandit attacks in North-West Nigeria. Bandits have been on the rampage since 2011 in Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Niger and Sokoto states, thus exacerbating insecurity in Nigeria alongside terrorism (aka Boko Haram in the North-East). The statistics of abductions, killings by the attackers and ransom paid to free captives are grim. In this piece, Samuel Aruwan, pioneer Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs in Kaduna State, diagnoses banditry in Nigeria. Writing under the title, Reframing Nigeria’s banditry crisis: From emotional narratives to strategic clarity, Aruwan, who is currently a postgraduate student at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, blames the banditry “catastrophe” on the failure to respond to early warning signs. His words: “Nigeria has paid dearly for ignoring early warn…

Nigerians tell their stories of banditry. 'A month will not go by ... Protesters asking for the release of abducted schoolboys, Nigeria, 2020. Kola Sulaimon/AFP via Getty Images Banditry is widespread in Nigeria. It has been defined as “a loose collection of various criminal groups involved in kidnap-for-ransom, armed robbery, cattle rustling, rape and sexual violence, pillage and attacks on traders, farmers and travellers, particularly in Nigeria’s northwest region”. This criminal activity has caused deaths, displacement, destruction of property and widespread fear. In 2025 alone , 599 attacks were reported, with 2,742 casualties. This was a sharp increase from 2024, when 256 attacks and 1,585 deaths were recorded. Banditry has also extended its reach to the northwest and southwest of Nigeria. Studies have examined its costs and implications, and possible mechanisms for addressing it. Still, knowledge about the nature and character of banditry remains limited. As a sociologist, I investigated this national security threat with a view to understanding how the victims experienced it. The study unpacks the method and timing of attacks and identities of the bandits, providing insight…

Nigerians tell their stories of banditry. 'A month will not go by ... Nigerians tell their stories of banditry. ‘A month will not go by without someone being killed in this village.’ OLUDAYO TADE June 18, 2026 June 17, 2026 4 Mins Read BANDITRY is widespread in Nigeria. It has been defined as “a loose collection of various criminal groups involved in kidnap-for-ransom, armed robbery, cattle rustling, rape and sexual violence, pillage and attacks on traders, farmers and travellers, particularly in Nigeria’s northwest region”. This criminal activity has caused deaths, displacement, destruction of property and widespread fear. In 2025 alone , 599 attacks were reported, with 2,742 casualties. This was a sharp increase from 2024, when 256 attacks and 1,585 deaths were recorded. Banditry has also extended its reach to the northwest and southwest of Nigeria. Studies have examined its costs and implications, and possible mechanisms for addressing it. Still, knowledge about the nature and character of banditry remains limited. As a sociologist, I investigated this national security threat with a view to understanding how the victims experienced it. The study unpacks the method and timing o…

Armed banditry is becoming a crisis in Nigeria: why fixing the police ... Nigerian anti-riot officers. Pius Utomi Ekpei/AFP via Getty Images Armed banditry in Nigeria has escalated into a full-blown security crisis , particularly in the north-west and north-central regions. What began as sporadic attacks has now morphed into coordinated campaigns of terror affecting entire communities. In March 2022, bandits attacked an Abuja-bound train with over 900 passengers, killing several and abducting an unknown number . Earlier, in January 2022, around 200 people were killed and 10,000 displaced in Zamfara after over 300 gunmen on motorcycles stormed eight villages, shooting indiscriminately and burning homes . Between 2023 and May 2025, at least 10,217 were killed by armed groups, including bandits, in northern Nigeria. Most of the victims were women and children. States like Zamfara, Sokoto and Katsina in the North-West and Niger, Kogi and Benue in the north-central region are especially hard hit. Farmers are abducted en route to their fields, travellers are kidnapped on major highways, and whole villages have been displaced. In many rural areas, residents are now forced to pay “taxes” …