At least 17 people have been killed in violent clashes between criminal gangs and illegal gold miners in Kaduna State, Nigeria, United Nations security report said.
The report revealed that the confrontation erupted in Birnin Gwari district after a notorious bandit leader allegedly extorted gold from miners at gunpoint. The enraged miners retaliated, killing the kingpin. His gang later stormed the site in revenge, shooting and killing seven miners.
Later that day, the bandits attacked nearby Layin Danauta village, killing nine residents, injuring 13, and abducting several others while torching properties.
Birnin Gwari, once notorious for insecurity, had enjoyed relative calm since a peace pact brokered between bandits and local communities in November last year. But residents fear the fragile truce may now be in jeopardy.
“We have been enjoying peace since the deal was signed, but this latest violence risks destroying it,” resident Muhammad Kabir said.
The area, rich in minerals and farmland, has long been plagued by bandit gangs operating across a vast forest spanning Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Niger states. Many of the groups have forged alliances with Al-Qaeda-linked Ansaru jihadists, who enforce strict Sharia law in parts of Birnin Gwari.
According to the UN report, the peace agreement significantly reduced kidnappings and extortion, pushing the gangs to turn to illegal mining as a new source of revenue. The report warned that the fresh violence could spark further clashes and unravel the fragile peace in the region.
