Ganar Kiyawa massacre
| Ganar Kiyawa massacre | |
|---|---|
| Part of Nigerian bandit conflict | |
| Location | Ganar Kiyawa, Bukkuyum LGA, Zamfara State, Nigeria |
| Date | March 20, 2022 |
| Victims | 37 killed Several kidnapped 20+ refugees |
| Perpetrator | Unknown bandits |
On March 20, 2022, at least 37 people were killed by bandits in the village of Ganar Kiyawa, in Bukkuyum, Zamfara State, Nigeria.
Prelude
[edit]Zamfara State has been a hotbed of over 100 different bandit groups for years, with kidnappings and massacres frequent in villages that don't pay ransom or are not close to a Nigerian military post.[1] In January 2022, a bandit attack on several villages killed over 200 people in Bukkuyum LGA, where Ganar Kiyawa is located.[2] In two villages near Ganar Kiyawa in February, bandits collected a 12 million naira ransom for 26 civilians abducted from the town and the neighboring Nasarawa Burkullu.[2] In the weeks leading up to the attack, Ganar Kiyawa residents paid 2 million naira in harvest taxes, and another two million ransom for civilians.[3]
Residents of Ganar Kiyawa expected the attack ahead of time, with the men of the village sleeping in the bush the night before anticipating the attack.[2] The bandits had entered the town the past few nights attempting to attack, but because no one was there sleeping, they left.[2]
Massacre
[edit]To surprise the inhabitants, the bandits attacked the morning of March 20, when all the civilians came back from the bush from sleeping.[2] Witnesses stated that the bandits shot indiscriminately once they entered the village from the western side, before going house to house and shooting everyone inside.[2] Shops in the town were looted as well.[2] According to a community leader in the Bukkuyum LGA, the village head, local traditional rulers, and many others were killed.[2] Twenty villagers fled to nearby villages, and those who couldn't make it were kidnapped.[2][4]
Aftermath
[edit]The next day, survivors picked up the bodies of 24 people in the village, and stated many more are likely left in the bush.[2] The bandits arrived at the village cemetery that same day, assuming funerals were going on for the buried, but no one was there, so they left.[3] The funerals instead took place at Adabka, three kilometers away.[3] The death toll later rose to 37 killed.[4]
The Zamfara State police stated 16 people were killed, with the police spokesperson and a military spokesperson visiting the village.[3] Zamfara State governor Bello Matawalle expressed his condolences.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ "Inside Nigeria's banditry epidemic". The New Humanitarian. 2023-01-30. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Mohammed Babangida (March 21, 2022). "Bandits kill village head, 23 others in Zamfara". www.premiumtimesng.com. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
- ^ a b c d e "Bandits kill village head, 19 others in fresh Zamfara attack - Daily Trust". dailytrust.com. 22 March 2022. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
- ^ a b "Gunmen kill more than a dozen villagers in northwest Nigeria". France 24. 2022-03-22. Retrieved 2023-09-13.