Armed Bandits Roam Freely In Zamfara Communities, Collect Levies, Attend Prayers

Bandits are reportedly operating openly in rural communities across Zamfara State, moving freely with assault rifles, collecting levies from residents and enforcing control over daily life in areas where government security presence is virtually non-existent.

Residents of Dayau in Anka Local Government Area and Dolen Moriki in Zurmi Local Government Area have reportedly been living under the effective control of bandit groups, which have entrenched themselves in the communities without fear of security intervention.

Meanwhile, both communities are experiencing sustained bandit presence with little or no visible state security infrastructure, leaving residents vulnerable and forced into uneasy coexistence with the armed groups.

In Dayau and Dolen Moriki, bandits reportedly move openly with AK-47 rifles slung over their shoulders without concealment or apparent fear of interception by security forces.

According to a security expert, Bakatsine, on Friday, bandits now enter local markets and shops openly to purchase goods, while social interactions between gunmen and residents occur in public spaces, largely driven by coercion rather than acceptance.

The gunmen also reportedly attend Friday congregational prayers while visibly armed, further normalising the presence of weapons within civilian life and deepening fears among residents.

Residents say the situation is worsened by the absence of visible state authority structures.

Community members report no permanent police deployment, no sustained military presence and limited or no access to electricity and other basic government services.

Several villagers described living under an imposed authority, where bandits effectively regulate daily activities, movement and farming schedules.

Civilians in the affected communities disclosed that they are compelled to pay levies or provide food supplies to the bandits under duress.

One of the residents noted that the community has been forced into a survival arrangement with the armed groups.

“We are forced to coexist with them. We do not even want the government to provoke them unless it can fully remove them,” Bakatsine quoted a resident as saying.

“If security forces come and leave, the gunmen return to punish us through killings, abductions and preventing farming.”

However, the testimony reflects a recurring fear among residents that temporary security interventions often lead to brutal reprisals once forces withdraw, leaving communities more vulnerable than before.

Residents said the continued absence of a permanent security presence has entrenched the power of the bandits, who now operate openly and dictate the rhythm of daily life.