At least 17 people, including 12 soldiers and five miners, have been killed in an attack by a group of bandits in Zamfara state, northwestern Nigeria. The incident took place near the village of Bidin, in the Marou region, where dozens of gunmen on motorcycles first attacked an illegal gold mine. According to two local sources quoted by AFP, five miners were killed in the mine, while the group then headed towards the village, where it clashed with security forces.
Twelve soldiers were killed in the exchange of fire. Abdullahi Musa Mutunji, a village councilor, confirmed the death toll. “The bandits killed 17 people in this attack, 12 soldiers and five miners,” he said. According to residents, the attack was an act of revenge. One of the bandits had threatened the miners with a gun and demanded some of the gold they had extracted. The miners allegedly disarmed him and killed him. The victim was part of Guaska Dankarami’s group, one of the gangs believed to be controlling the area. After receiving news of his death, Dankarami is suspected of mobilizing his men and organizing the attack.
“When Dankarami found out, he mobilized his men and launched an attack,” said Lawan Wanjam, a resident who lost his son in the incident. “They killed 12 soldiers and five miners, including my son,” he told AFP. Residents say the community had previously reached a ceasefire agreement with Dankarami’s group, but they say the gang members continued to pressure villagers and miners to give them a share of the gold they had extracted. The Nigerian military did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment on the incident. Zamfara is one of the states in northwestern Nigeria where armed groups, popularly known as “bandits,” have intensified their activities in recent years. The groups carry out attacks on villages, kidnappings for ransom, cattle rustling, looting and burning homes.
Illegal gold mining is considered one of the factors fueling the activity of these groups in northwest and parts of central Nigeria. Gangs compete for control of mining areas and demand a share of the gold extracted by miners, often leading to violent clashes. Guaska Dankarami has also been linked to one of the largest mass kidnapping cases in Nigeria. He is believed to have been one of the organizers of the kidnapping of more than 300 students from a boys' boarding school in neighboring Katsina state in December 2020. The students were released about a week later after authorities paid a ransom.
