Armed gang attack kills 17 farmers in Zamfara, Nigeria

Gunmen attacked farmers working in the fields of Goron Namaye in the Maradun area of Zamfara state on Friday, killing at least 17 and wounding 13. No group claimed responsibility, though armed bandit attacks have risen in recent months. Residents said the victims were shot as they harvested crops, and the injured were taken to a local hospital. Local officials, including Maradun chairman Sanusi Dosara, blamed the Zamfara state government’s refusal to negotiate with the gunmen and urged security forces to dismantle the Bayan‑Ruwa enclave in the Maradun forest where the attackers are believed to be based.

The incident follows a kidnapping of 39 people in the nearby community of Magamin Diddi on Thursday, underscoring a surge in violent crime linked to the broader insurgency in northeastern Nigeria. The United Nations estimates that the conflict and ransom kidnappings have killed thousands and displaced millions over the years, despite repeated promises by President Bola Tinubu to curb the crisis.