At least 20 people were killed in a brutal attack on a gold mining village in Zamfara state, northwest Nigeria, on Thursday. According to local residents and Amnesty International, gunmen stormed the village of Gobirawa Chali in the Maru local government area, opening fire on miners and villagers.
The exact motive behind the attack remains unclear, but Zamfara state has long struggled with armed gangs who engage in kidnappings for ransom and often target security forces. The attack occurred in the afternoon, when residents say hundreds of gunmen launched their assault, sparking a firefight. Over 20 people were confirmed dead, with several others injured, according to Ismail Hassan, a local resident.
Another resident, Isah Ibrahim, reported that at least 21 bodies were recovered after the attack. Amnesty International stated that the gunmen went from house to house, killing indiscriminately.
This attack is part of a broader wave of violence across northwest Nigeria, where armed gangs have killed and kidnapped hundreds over the past two years. These groups typically operate from remote forest hideouts, and Nigeria’s overstretched military has struggled to regain control of vast, ungoverned regions in the north.
