Alleged gang members killed 12 soldiers and 5 miners in Zamfara State, in northwestern Nigeria, according to sources cited by Agence France-Presse.
Zamafara is one of the states in northwestern Nigeria where gangs—specializing in kidnappings for ransom and cattle rustling, generally known as “bandits” (“criminal elements,” “bandits”), attack villages, murder and kidnap residents, loot homes, and set them on fire…
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Raid on an Illegal Gold Mine
Dozens of criminals, riding motorcycles and led by a notorious bandit chief, raided an illegal gold mine in the vicinity of the village of Bintin, in the Maru district, and murdered five miners before moving toward the village and killing twelve soldiers in an exchange of fire, AFP sources explained.
“The attackers killed 17 people in this attack—12 soldiers and 5 miners,” said Abdullahi Musa Mutunji, a village council member.
Act of Retaliation
It was an act of retaliation following the death of a criminal who had threatened miners at gunpoint, demanding a share of the gold they had mined, Mr. Mutunji explained.
The miners disarmed and killed the criminal, a member of Guaska Dankarami’s gang, which controls the area, according to the city councilman.
“When (…) Dankarami found out, he mobilized his men and launched an attack,” said Lawan Wanzam, who lost a child.
“They killed 12 soldiers and five miners, including my son,” he told AFP.
The community is said to have reached a truce agreement with Dankarami, but his men continued to harass villagers, constantly demanding that gold miners hand over a portion of the ore they had mined, Mr. Wanzam explained.
When the French Press Agency asked for comment, the Nigerian military did not respond.
Gang Activity at Gold Mines
The illegal exploitation of gold deposits is considered a major factor in gang activity in states in the northwestern and central parts of Africa’s most populous country, where criminals vie for control of mines and demand a share of the gold that is extracted.
This competition often leads to outbreaks of violent clashes between rival gangs or with miners.
Dunkarami is believed to have been one of the three masterminds behind the mass abduction in December 2020, of more than 300 students from a boys’ boarding school in the neighboring state of Katsina.
The children were released a week later, after the authorities paid a ransom.
Source: iefimerida.gr
