At least 20 people were killed when gunmen launched a deadly attack on a gold mining village in Zamfara State, northwestern Nigeria, according to local residents and Amnesty International.
The assault occurred Thursday afternoon in Gobirawa Chali village, located in the Maru Local Government Area. Eyewitnesses said the attackers arrived in large numbers, opened fire on miners, and went door to door, killing residents.
Ismail Hassan, a local resident, told that the gunmen came in their hundreds and a gunfight broke out, leaving over 20 people dead. Another witness, Isah Ibrahim, said at least 21 bodies were recovered after the violence, with several others wounded.
Amnesty International confirmed the attack, stating that the armed men carried out house-to-house killings during the raid.
The motive behind the assault remains unclear, but Zamfara State has long struggled with violent criminal gangs involved in kidnappings, extortion, and armed robbery. These groups often operate from remote forest areas and have frequently targeted civilians and security forces alike.
Efforts to secure Nigeria’s northwest region remain hampered by overstretched security forces, who are simultaneously combating a prolonged Islamist insurgency in the northeast, communal clashes in the central region, and separatist tensions in the south.
Authorities in Zamfara have yet to issue an official response to the incident.