By By Elizabeth Ugbo
Banditry in Nigeria has grown into one of the country’s biggest security challenges. Armed groups now attack civilians, military formations and critical infrastructure across the northwest and parts of north-central Nigeria. Security experts warn that these groups increasingly resemble insurgent organizations. Their operations now include territorial control, mass kidnappings, attacks on security forces and assaults on transportation networks. As violence spreads, analysts say the government must urgently review its counterterrorism strategy to prevent further deterioration.
Experts Say Attacks Go Beyond Ordinary Banditry
Security analyst Confidence MacHarry of Lagos-based SBM Intelligence believes recent attacks demonstrate a shift in the nature of armed groups operating in Nigeria.
According to him, attacks on military facilities reflect jihadist ideology aimed at weakening state institutions.
He argued that such incidents cannot be dismissed as ordinary criminal activities.
MacHarry said the attackers appear determined to capture and control territory. Consequently, he urged the government to strengthen military installations while redesigning its security strategy for northwest Nigeria.
Military Bases Increasingly Under Attack
The growing sophistication of bandit groups became evident in April 2022.
Armed men riding motorcycles attacked a military facility in Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State. They reportedly used heavy weapons, including rocket-propelled grenades, during a two-hour battle that left ten soldiers dead.
Earlier, in July 2021, armed groups also shot down a Nigerian Air Force fighter jet in Zamfara State.
These attacks reinforced concerns that the groups now possess capabilities beyond conventional bandit operations.
Kaduna Train Attack Changed Nigeria’s Security Landscape
The Abuja-Kaduna railway once served as a safer alternative after criminals made the highway dangerous.
However, that perception changed dramatically on March 28, 2022.
Armed attackers bombed the railway track, forced the train to stop and opened fire on passengers. They killed several people and abducted dozens.
Only days before, gunmen attacked Kaduna International Airport and killed an airport official on the runway.
The railway attack followed an earlier failed attempt in October 2021, when explosives damaged the tracks but failed to derail the train.
These incidents exposed the vulnerability of critical national infrastructure.
Bandits Continue to Expand Across Northern Nigeria
Bandit groups now operate across several northwestern and north-central states.
Their strongest presence remains in Kaduna, Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi and Niger states. Nevertheless, violence has also spread into Plateau, Nasarawa and Benue.
Typically, the groups travel on motorcycles and occasionally on horseback.
They attack villages, raid farms, rustle cattle, kidnap residents and impose illegal taxes on communities under their control.
In many rural areas, residents now live under constant fear.
Abuja Also Faces Growing Security Threats
The security challenge is no longer limited to rural communities.
Analysts have repeatedly warned that Abuja faces threats from armed groups operating in surrounding states, including Niger, Kaduna, Nasarawa and Kogi.
Within the capital, criminal gangs frequently target motorists and pedestrians at isolated bridges, major highways and poorly lit locations.
These developments suggest that insecurity continues to spread beyond traditional conflict zones.
Why Banditry Continues to Grow
Analysts attribute the rise of banditry to several interconnected factors.
Ayisha Osori of the Open Society Foundations said many bandits include people displaced by conflict and climate change.
Others are former herders whose livelihoods collapsed after cattle rustling and prolonged disputes with farming communities.
She also noted that criminal opportunists have entered kidnapping because ransom payments generate significant profits.
Some analysts further believe remnants of Boko Haram fighters displaced from the northeast may have joined bandit groups operating in the northwest.
Civilian Deaths and Kidnappings Continue to Rise
Conflict data paints an alarming picture.
The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) reported that armed bandits killed more than 2,600 civilians during 2021. That represented an increase of more than 250 percent compared to 2020.
The figure exceeded civilian deaths attributed to Boko Haram and ISWAP during the same period.
Meanwhile, more than 1,000 students and school staff were abducted between December 2020 and August 2021.
Kaduna State alone recorded 343 deaths and 830 kidnappings between July and September 2021.
These statistics illustrate the scale of the crisis.
Research Confirms Widespread Security Breakdown
Academic studies also highlight the worsening situation.
Researchers from Tai Solarin University of Education describe banditry as one of Nigeria’s most serious security threats.
Their study found that armed groups terrorize communities through killings, kidnappings, rape, cattle rustling and destruction of livelihoods.
The researchers also noted that thousands of cattle were stolen between 2013 and 2014, while hundreds of attacks caused more than 1,400 deaths during the first half of 2019.
According to the study, Kaduna, Katsina and Zamfara remain the most severely affected states.
However, insecurity has expanded into neighbouring regions.
Nigeria Faces a National Security Emergency
Over the past decade, armed bandits have displaced millions of people and crippled economic activities across northern Nigeria.
They continue to attack schools, highways, villages, military facilities and transportation infrastructure.
As a result, security experts increasingly argue that the crisis has evolved beyond organized crime into a broader insurgency.
Without stronger intelligence gathering, improved military protection and comprehensive counterterrorism reforms, analysts warn that armed groups may continue expanding their influence across the country.
