In mid-January 2022, a bandit gang killed over 50 people in Dankade,

Kebbi State Kebbi state ( ha, Jihar Kebbi; Fulfulde: Leydi Kebbi 𞤤𞤫𞤴𞤣𞤭 𞤳𞤫𞤦𞥆𞤭) is a state in the northwestern Nigeria, Kebbi state is bordered east and north of Sokoto and Zamfara states, and to the south by Niger state while ...

, Nigeria.

Background

The

Nigerian bandit conflict The bandit conflict in northwest Nigeria is an ongoing conflict between the country's government and various gangs and ethnic militias. Starting in 2011, the insecurity remaining from the conflict between the Fulani and Hausa ethnic groups qu ...

began in 2011, and has mostly taken place in northwestern Nigeria. Armed gangs have carried out many attacks, including mass

kidnappings In criminal law, kidnapping is the unlawful confinement of a person against their will, often including transportation/ asportation. The asportation and abduction element is typically but not necessarily conducted by means of force or fear: the ...

, robbery, arson and mass shootings. Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands displaced. The conflict escalated in the early 2020s; the largest and most deadly event being the

massacres A massacre is the killing of a large number of people or animals, especially those who are not involved in any fighting or have no way of defending themselves. A massacre is generally considered to be morally unacceptable, especially when per ...

in Zamfara State in early January 2022. The Nigerian authorities, who are also opposing the

Boko Haram insurgency The Boko Haram insurgency began in July 2009, when the militant Islamist and jihadist rebel group Boko Haram started an armed rebellion against the government of Nigeria. The conflict is taking place within the context of long-standing iss ...

and the

insurgency in Southeastern Nigeria The insurgency in Southeastern Nigeria (initially known as the Orlu Crisis) is a military conflict that broke out in the city of Orlu, Imo State, Nigeria on 22 January 2021, when the Nigerian Army moved to crush the paramilitary wing of the Indi ...

, have difficulty tackling the bandit gangs.

Incident

On the evening of 14 January 2022, a group of bandits attacked Dankade, a village in Kebbi State, Northwest Nigeria. After a shootout with soldiers and police in which two soldiers and a police officer were killed, security forces retreated. The gang continued their assault into the early hours of the following day, killing numerous villagers, burning down shops and grain silos, as well as stealing cattle. The gang kidnapped villagers, including its community leader. By the time the bandits left dead bodies lay all over the streets of Dankade. A survivor recalled:

“Many were killed and their corpses burnt. We can’t tell the number of fatalities right now. We are left wondering why terror killings seem to be on the rise, particularly in the North-West region.”

State authorities put the casualty number at 18, while some locals said the bandits had killed over 50 civilians.

Notes

References

{{coord missing, Nigeria 2022 fires in Africa 2022 mass shootings in Africa 2022 murders in Nigeria 2020s massacres in Nigeria 21st century in Kebbi State Arson in Nigeria Arson in the 2020s Attacks on buildings and structures in 2022 Attacks on buildings and structures in Nigeria Attacks on shops Crime in Kebbi State January 2022 crimes in Africa January 2022 events in Nigeria Mass shootings in Nigeria Massacres in 2022 Nigerian bandit conflict Terrorist incidents in Africa in 2022 Terrorist incidents in Nigeria in the 2020s Attacks in Nigeria in 2022