INSECURITY IN NIGERIA

As of today, no place in Nigeria is hotter than Zamfara State where armed bandits and cattle rustlers raid towns and villages, kill people by the dozens, rustle whole herds of cattle, rob and kidnap at will, block highways and have sent tens of thousands of people fleeing, some to neighbouring Katsina State. Despite the deployment of more troops and other security operatives, the situation is still desperate.

Since January this year, 388 people were killed in attacks on at least 33 rural communities of Maru, Zurmi, Anka, Maradun, Shinkafi, Tsafe, Gummi, Gusau and Birnin Magaji local government areas. In November troops deployed for Operation Sharan Daji said they killed 21 bandits, recovered 24 rifles and 55 motorbikes. Policemen in the state also carried out series of operations in which they killed many bandits and recovered hundreds of rustled cows.

When deployment of more troops, police and other security operatives did not stem insecurity, Zamfara State government announced the recruitment in November of 8,500 Civilian Joint Task Force members. A notable success was recorded last March when the cattle rustling kingpin known as Buharin Daji was killed in gang violence in a forest in Dansadau district.

Zurmi local government has recorded the highest casualties with 89 reported deaths. Bandits in the local government area killed 41 in Birane in February and another 40 in attacks on Kwaddi and Gambiro. Another 8 were killed in Gurbin Bore in November.

Maradun LGA recorded the second highest casualties with 78 deaths after attacks on more than ten villages in Gidan Goga and Faru districts between May and December this year. Birnin Magaji LGA is next, with 63 deaths after deadly assaults by the bandits on at least four villages. Anka local government followed with 62 deaths. The villages of Bawar Daji, Kuru Kuru and Jarkuka were raided in March and April this year. The chairman of Tsafe local government Alhaji Aliyu Abubakar said last week that 40 people were killed and 1,700 displaced in his local government in the last 3 weeks. At least 48 were killed in Maru local government while 63 were killed in Oho, Gidan Halilu, Gidan Kaka, Nasarawa Godel and Dutsin Wake villages in Birnin Magaji LGA in June this year.

The first deadly armed bandit attack in the state was in October 2011 where 23 people were killed at Lingyado village in Maru LGA. This marked the beginning of the series of attacks on villages in the state. In January 2012, 15 traders were burnt to death in Birnin Magaji LGA. Gunmen intercepted them killed them onboard a truck before they cremated the corpses. In June 2012, 27 were shot dead in Dangulbi village of Maru LGA while in September of that year, 20 were killed in Gusau LGA.

Thereafter, in October 2012, 18 people were shot dead in Kabaro village of Maru LGA while in November 2012, 10 vigilante members were shot dead in Dumburum village in Zurmi LGA. After killing the vigilantes, the armed bandits then slashed their private parts and then fled. In June 2013, 54 people were massacred at Kizara