Zamfara State faces intensified banditry and military clashes

Zamfara State is experiencing a surge in violence as bandit groups launch large-scale attacks on military installations and rural communities. In the Maru Local Government Area, terror leader Dankarami Gwaska led an assault on a military base and mining sites in the Bindin ward of Dansadau Emirate. The attack resulted in the deaths of 14 soldiers and mobile police officers and the looting of the base's armoury.

Following the assault, Gwaska reportedly imposed a “protection levy” on Bindin and surrounding farming communities, extorting approximately ₦360 million within two weeks. The destruction of the local military base has caused significant displacement, forcing much of the population and local miners to flee the area.

In a separate confrontation in the Gummi Local Government Area, residents of Birnin Tudu, supported by the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), local vigilantes, and the air component of Operation Fansan Yamma, repelled a large-scale incursion. The three-day clash resulted in the deaths of more than 30 suspected bandits. However, the violence also claimed the lives of at least five civilians and left several residents injured.