- 17 people were killed in Kaduna State following a clash between bandits and illegal gold miners in Birnin Gwari.
- The violence began when a bandit leader tried to extort miners before being killed, sparking a deadly reprisal.
- Armed bandits later raided Layin Danauta village, killing nine people and kidnapping several others.
- Security officials fear the renewed bandit attacks may jeopardize the fragile peace deal in the region.
Fresh violence has erupted in Kaduna State, northwestern Nigeria, where clashes between bandits and illegal gold miners left at least 17 people dead, according to a confidential security report prepared for the United Nations and obtained by AFP on Friday.
The bloody incident occurred on Thursday in Birnin Gwari, a district notorious for criminal activity and illegal mining. The area, which has been relatively calm since a peace deal was brokered last year, was thrown into chaos after a bandit kingpin reportedly tried to extort gold from miners at gunpoint.
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According to the report, the miners resisted and killed the bandit leader. In retaliation, his armed followers launched a violent raid on the mining site, shooting and killing seven miners.
Later that same day, the attackers stormed nearby Layin Danauta village, where they killed nine residents, injured 13 others, and kidnapped several people. They also looted homes and destroyed property before escaping into the nearby forest.
Birnin Gwari, a mineral-rich agricultural district, has for years been one of the hardest-hit areas by bandit attacks. While the peace agreement signed in November last year had reduced the violence, this latest incident has reignited fears of renewed instability.
Local resident Muhammad Kabir confirmed the killings and expressed concern that the fragile peace may not hold. “We have been enjoying relative peace since the peace deal was signed, but this latest violence risks jeopardising it,” he said.
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The security report also revealed that the economic downturn among bandits, following restrictions on kidnapping and levies on farmers, has driven many to illegal mining as a new source of income. With the boom in unregulated gold mining, tensions between the groups have grown increasingly violent.
Authorities and security experts remain alarmed by the growing cooperation between bandit groups and jihadist factions like Ansaru, which operate under Al-Qaeda’s influence. The United Nations report warned that the fresh outbreak of violence could “degenerate” into a broader conflict if not contained.
