The report examines victimization at the hands of bandit groups, how their presence manifests on the ground, and the everyday impact of bandit violence on income generation, access to education and mobility.

The report draws on MEAC’s original survey research with affected communities in Katsina, Zamfara, and Sokoto states in the North West of Nigeria. Through the lens of affected communities, it also looks at where banditry sits in the wider context of conflict and violence in Nigeria, including conflict between farmers and herders and the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East of the country.

The report seeks to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the phenomenon in order to help policymakers and practitioners identify effective responses to improve security in the region.

 

Citation: Johanna Kleffmann, Swetha Ramachandran, Noah Cohen, Siobhan O'Neil, Mohammed Bukar, Francesca Batault, Kato Van Broeckhoven, "Banditry Violence in Nigeria's North West: Insights from Affected Communities,” Findings Report 36, UNIDIR, Geneva, 2024, https://doi.org/10.37559/MEAC/24/05