'If you started running, they shot you' - inside Nigeria's growing kidnapping crisis
Summary
Armed gangs, known locally as bandits, are attacking villages in north-west Nigeria, killing many people and kidnapping others for ransom. These attacks have forced around 800,000 people to leave their homes, with many now living in poor conditions in temporary camps.Key Facts
- Bandits attacked a village in Zamfara state, killing about 70 people in one incident.
- The attackers use motorcycles and split into groups to surround and attack villages.
- Victims face threats of being shot if they try to run, or burned if they hide in a building.
- Many displaced people, including Fatima and her children, live in makeshift camps with little food or shelter.
- Around 1,000 people are in the camp where Fatima now lives, facing shortages and irregular aid.
- Some local people have formed armed vigilante groups to fight the bandits.
- The bandits mostly come from the Fulani ethnic group and have shifted from cattle trading to crime for quick money.
- Military and vigilante patrols have brought some reduction in attacks but the threat remains strong.
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