Zamfara State was plunged into grief on Friday following a brutal attack on Dutsin Dan Ajiya village in Anka Local Government Area, where armed bandits reportedly killed no fewer than 50 residents in a night of violence that has once again underscored the fragile security situation in Nigeria’s North-West.
Videos circulating online and obtained by Saturday PUNCH showed rows of corpses wrapped in white shrouds in preparation for a mass burial, a grim testament to the scale of the tragedy. Survivors described scenes of chaos and terror as heavily armed attackers stormed the rural community, firing indiscriminately and preventing residents from escaping.
A villager, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, recounted that the attackers invaded the community on Thursday night wielding sophisticated weapons. According to him, the assailants strategically blocked all access roads leading in and out of the village before launching their assault.
“After blocking all the roads, the bandits started to shoot at sight and the villagers ran helter-skelter,” he said. “After the attack, we realised that 30 people were killed; some were wounded, while several others are at large and nobody knows their whereabouts.”
While initial local accounts suggested at least 30 fatalities, Reuters reported that the death toll had climbed to at least 50. The discrepancy highlights the confusion and difficulty in obtaining accurate casualty figures in the immediate aftermath of such attacks, particularly in remote areas with limited communication infrastructure.
Hamisu Faru, a lawmaker representing Bukkuyum South constituency, told Reuters that the attackers began their raid around 5 p.m. on Thursday and continued until about 3:30 a.m. on Friday. He said the gunmen moved systematically through the village, setting buildings ablaze and shooting residents who attempted to flee.
“They have been moving from one village to another … leaving at least 50 people dead,” Faru said, suggesting that the assault on Dutsin Dan Ajiya may be part of a broader pattern of coordinated attacks across the area.
Abdullahi Sani, a 41-year-old resident, confirmed that three members of his family were among the dead. His voice heavy with grief, he described a sleepless night filled with fear and anguish.
“No one slept yesterday, we are all in pain,” Sani said.
According to him, villagers had raised alarm when they spotted more than 150 motorcycles carrying the attackers approaching the community. Residents reportedly alerted security forces and local authorities but received no immediate response.
As of press time, the Zamfara State Police Command had not issued an official statement. The state police spokesperson, Yazid Abubakar, did not respond to phone calls or a text message seeking comment. An aide to the state governor acknowledged inquiries from Saturday PUNCH and promised a response but had yet to provide one at the time of filing this report.
The timing of the attack has raised further concerns. Just a day earlier, the Zamfara State Government had donated Armoured Personnel Carriers and a drone to security forces as part of efforts to combat banditry. The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), who received the equipment, urged Nigerian Army troops to take decisive action against any bandits or terrorists who refused to surrender.
Despite ongoing military operations and government assurances, Zamfara remains one of several North-Western states grappling with persistent banditry. Armed groups have repeatedly targeted rural communities, killing residents, abducting civilians, and rustling livestock.
The violence is not confined to Zamfara. On Wednesday, at least 33 residents of Bui District in Arewa Local Government Area of Kebbi State were reportedly killed by suspected Lakurawa terrorists during an attempted cattle rustling operation. In Sokoto State, five people were killed on February 13, 2026, when Lakurawa fighters attacked the Maganho community in Tangaza Local Government Area, making away with livestock belonging to predominantly farming households.
Katsina State has also suffered recent bloodshed. On February 3, bandits killed 21 residents in Doma town, Faskari Local Government Area, effectively shattering a six-month non-aggression pact that the community had earlier negotiated with the gunmen in a bid to secure peace.
The wave of attacks has sparked renewed debate over Nigeria’s security architecture. Abdulrazaq Hamzat, Executive Director of the Foundation for Peace Professionals, rejected suggestions that the recent killings represent a resurgence of violence, describing them instead as a continuation of an entrenched security crisis.
“I do not think it is a resurgence; it is just the continuation of existing insecurity,” Hamzat told Saturday PUNCH. He argued that Nigeria’s security framework is fundamentally reactive rather than preventive, leaving communities vulnerable once military operations shift elsewhere.
“Our security approach has always been about responding to situations as they happen. The security has been overstretched; before they effectively complete an operation in one location, they’re deployed to other places with more pressing demands,” he said.
Hamzat advocated for decentralising the police force as a long-term solution, asserting that state and local policing structures would provide the community-level intelligence and permanent presence needed to deter bandits in remote areas.
“Without a permanent, localised security presence that understands the terrain and maintains constant vigilance, the cycle of killings in states like Kebbi and Zamfara will continue,” he warned.
Security analyst Akin Adeyi echoed calls for a shift in strategy, urging the government to move from defensive postures to proactive, intelligence-driven offensives. He linked the spread of attacks to the fallout from a reported U.S. strike on bandit groups on December 25, 2025, which he said may have scattered militants into new territories.
“With the way the U.S. struck last year, these people will run helter-skelter and start spreading into places where there was peace, launching uncoordinated attacks,” Adeyi said. “The government should have anticipated this.”
He urged authorities to fully mobilise civil defence units, mobile police, and paramilitary forces to prevent fleeing bandits from embedding themselves in civilian areas.
“It is not enough to sit and rely on repelling attacks,” he said. “It is time to be on the offensive. Anywhere, anytime intelligence is received about their movements, security forces should act before they strike.”
For the grieving residents of Dutsin Dan Ajiya, however, policy debates offer little immediate comfort. As families bury their dead in mass graves, the latest massacre stands as a stark reminder of the persistent insecurity plaguing Nigeria’s North-West and the urgent need for durable solutions.
