Amnesty International has called on the Nigerian government to take urgent action to end the worsening attacks by armed bandits in Zamfara State’s Dansadau District, warning that many communities have remained under siege for days.
The human rights organisation said dozens of villages in the district have been cut off for about 10 days, with residents unable to move freely as bandits continue to terrorise the area.
According to Amnesty International, armed men invaded Yar Gada village on Tuesday, where they deliberately set vehicles ablaze while frightened residents fled in different directions to escape the attack.
The organisation noted that for several years, travellers on the Magami-Dansadau Road have only been able to use the route under military escort because of persistent insecurity.
Amnesty International said some residents of the affected communities claimed they received phone calls warning them about planned attacks. The villagers also alleged that they were asked to pay huge sums of money or face death or abduction.
Describing the violence as “Nigeria’s forgotten conflict,” the organisation said, “The authorities’ failure to protect has left villagers in Zamfara at the mercy of armed bandits, who have killed hundreds of people over the course of 10 bloody years.”
It added, “The crisis in Zamfara is making life hell for villagers, yet it is clearly low down on the list of government priorities.”
Amnesty International further criticised the government’s response, saying, “The Nigerian authorities have repeatedly claimed to be tackling the situation, but the mounting death toll tells a different story.”
Zamfara has remained one of Nigeria’s worst-hit states by banditry, with attacks, kidnappings and killings continuing despite repeated military operations aimed at restoring peace.
The renewed appeal by Amnesty International comes as residents and humanitarian groups continue to demand stronger security measures to protect vulnerable communities and end the prolonged violence across the state.
