In a chilling manifestation of the collapse of security in north‑west Nigeria, Fulani militants slaughtered 38 of the 56 hostages they had held in Banga Village, Zamfara State, despite their captives’ families paying over ₦50 million in ransom.
According to local accounts, the bandits initially demanded ₦1 million per person, yet repaid that demand with mass executions in cold blood – a grotesque testament to the impotence of negotiated appeasement and the brazen contempt of these criminal networks.
An intelligence briefing published this month by Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited (BSIL) confirms that Zamfara State led the nation in violence during the first half of 2025, registering 6,800 fatalities and 5,400 abductions — the highest figures among all 36 states.
The “Nigeria Security Report” highlights a 19.11 per cent surge in fatalities compared to the first half of 2024, underlining an intensifying threat that has outpaced efforts at containment.
Nationwide, the human toll is equally stark: Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission recorded 2,266 killings by insurgents or bandits in H1 2025, eclipsing the 2,194 deaths of all 2024 and more than doubling the 1,083 fatalities of H1 2024.
Yet even as these numbers spiked, abductions dipped slightly, suggesting that militants—liberated by unwarranted concessions—have reverted to extreme violence rather than mere ransom‑seeking.
This latest massacre echoes the worst carnage in Zamfara’s recent history. In January 2022, bandit gangs executed over 200 villagers in coordinated raids across multiple LGAs — the bloodiest atrocity since the region’s descent into lawlessness in 2011.
That tragedy prompted vows of “no quarter” from the Federal Government; instead, insecurity has metastasised, spreading unchecked.
Aminu Musa Banga, an eyewitness and community elder, recounted the bloodshed: “These bandits slaughtered our men and one woman one by one after we paid more than ₦50 million,” he said, his voice cracking with despair.
His testimony underscores an appalling reality: ransom negotiations fuel further brutality when not backed by force.
Kaura Namoda LGA Chairman, Hon. Mannir Mu’azu Haidara, confirmed that the 16 survivors were in critical condition, hospitalised after savage beatings.
“We are working hand in hand with the State Government under Dr Dauda Lawal to overcome this insecurity,” he pledged, yet his assurances ring hollow against the backdrop of festering terror.
In Abuja, the Federal constituency’s MP and House Ecological Fund Committee Chairman, Hon. Aminu Sani Jaji, took to his verified X handle to express remorse.
“I apologise for any perceived shortcomings in ensuring your security,” he wrote. Such contrition, though heartfelt, fails to address why security forces were absent when villagers desperately dialled for help.
Notably, the Zamfara Police spokesman, Yazid Abubakar, refused media engagement and later denied any reports of the massacre in Banga, urging citizens to file complaints.
This official stonewalling smacks of bureaucratic evasion rather than accountability.
The recurring pattern of denial and delay is intolerable. As Tony Ojukwu of the National Human Rights Commission stated in June:
“These figures were not mere lines on a page; they were fathers, mothers and children, brutalised and discarded”.
His plea for “urgent and decisive action” remains unheeded.
Conservatives must insist that negotiation without deterrent is tantamount to capitulation.
The Federal Government must deploy robust military contingents to Zamfara at once, employ targeted air strikes on known gang strongholds, and secure escape corridors for civilians.
Only a forceful, all‑of‑government strategy—combining military, intelligence and community vigilantes—can reclaim these besieged villages.
Failure to act decisively invites further atrocities. The execution of 38 hostages after a substantial ransom payment is not an aberration: it is a signal that militants now regard the State as a paper tiger.
Let this massacre serve as the catalyst for a long‑overdue offensive to dismantle bandit networks, restore rule of law in Zamfara and signal to all criminals that Nigeria tolerates no more betrayal under the guise of ransom.
