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Armed attackers kill more than 20 in northwest Nigeria
Al Jazeera • • general
Key Points:
- At least 20 people were killed in Zamfara State, northwest Nigeria, after armed gangs attacked multiple villages, targeting residents indiscriminately.
- The attacks are part of a broader surge in violence across northwest and central Nigeria, where bandits frequently raid villages, steal livestock, and kidnap people for ransom.
- Security forces recently killed at least three suspected bandits in Kwara State and rescued a kidnapped businessman, highlighting ongoing countermeasures against these gangs.
- Kidnappings have become widespread in Nigeria, with armed groups reportedly earning over $1.6 million in ransom payments in 2024, exacerbated by the country's ongoing security crisis linked to the Boko Haram insurgency.
- Earlier this month, 56 hostages, including students and teachers kidnapped from schools in Oyo State, were freed, with several kidnappers arrested or killed; authorities indicated the kidnappers intended to use the hostages to demand prisoner releases.
