Communities are impacted by multiple, often organized bandit groups
based outside their village or city. More than halfof those whose
communities experienced attacks believed that the bandits involved were part
of organized groups, and a majority (85 per cent) said they came from outside
their location. Yet, impacted communities rarely know who leads these groups,
or what they call themselves, which may suggest frequently shifting group
configurations and fragmentation, complicating responses.
Banditry violence is rampant in Nigeria’s North West and severely impacts local
populations. This document highlights key findings from a survey conducted in early
2024 with almost 3,000 community members mainly in and around Jibia in Katsina
State, Gusau in Zamfara State, and Ilella in Sokoto State, providing insights into their
experiences with and perceptions of banditry.
B A N D I T R Y I N N I G E R I A ’ S N O R T H W E S T
T H E P H E N O M E N O N O F B A N D I T R Y
K E Y F I N D I N G S
As expected, banditry is a top concern for communities in North West
Nigeria. Among those surveyed, banditry was one of the most reported
problems (mentioned by 70 per cent of respondents), second only to food
insecurity (82 per cent). When asked about security threats specifically,
respondents overwhelmingly named bandits as the biggest threat to their
community (80 per cent).
Local populations see banditry as a distinct yet hard to classify
phenomenon. Some of the frames that have been applied to banditry –
particularly farmer/herder or Hausa/Fulani conflicts – do not appear to fully
align with local communities’ understanding of today’s evolution of banditry.
Simplistic categorization and narrow lenses for understanding banditry may
contribute to inappropriate or insufficient policy and programmatic responses.
Weapons are bandits’ most distinct feature. When asked how they would be
able to identify a bandit, more than half of respondents said by their weapons
and 35 per cent mentioned motorcycles, while many others said they would not
know. The prevalence of weapons in the region combined with the unclear
structure of bandit groups – or complete lack thereof – highlights the
challenges for disarmament efforts.
Communities perceive banditry as mainly financially driven. The surveyed
community members overwhelmingly see financial gains as bandits’ primary
motivation, with 83 per cent saying they want money (compared to, for
instance, power or revenge for a past injustice, each named by 5 per cent of
respondents).
