Banditry Archives - Page 3 of 70 - Voice of Liberty NG

Edo: Bandits abduct pupils, others, demand ₦260m ransom

February 7, 2026February 7, 2026 Aminu Imam

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted nine family members, including school children and a nursing mother, in Edo State. The victims were reportedly snatched on February 3, 2026, at Iyowa Bush, along the Eko-Abeku–Iyowa–Akure Road. A relative of the victims, Festus Bamidele, stated that the group was abducted while returning from school. He noted that the family only became aware of the full scale of the incident after a few of the captives were initially freed. According to Bamidele, some victims are still being held captive, including two of…

Kwara Attack: Death toll hits 162, as terrorists overrun Kaima LGA village

February 5, 2026February 5, 2026 Aminu Imam

At least 162 people have been confirmed dead after suspected terrorists launched a deadly assault on Woro village in Kaiama LGA of Kwara State, in what humanitarian officials say ranks among the most lethal attacks recorded in Nigeria in recent months. The State’s Secretary of the Red Cross, Babaomo Ayodeji, disclosed that rescue teams and volunteers were still recovering bodies days after the Tuesday evening attack. “Reports said that the death toll now stands at 162, as the search for more bodies continues”, Ayodeji said, revising an earlier figure of…

Borno: Massacre in community, as B’Haram terrorists kill scores of construction workers

February 1, 2026February 1, 2026 Aminu Imam

Scores of construction workers have been reportedly killed by the Islamic State-backed faction of Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), formerly known as Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihād. It was learnt that the terrorists attacked a construction site and a military base in Sabon-Gari, Damboa local government area of Borno State, on Thursday. The construction workers were said to be working on a bridge being constructed at Wajiluku. Wajiluku is a border town between Damboa and Biu LGAs. Recall that ISWAP terrorists had, a few years back,…

Banditry: FG to deploy military retirees to secure ungoverned areas

January 29, 2026January 29, 2026 Aminu Imam

The Federal Government has announced plans to deploy military retirees to help secure Nigeria’s ungoverned spaces, as part of broader efforts to strengthen national security and stimulate economic activities in conflict-affected areas. The initiative follows the inauguration of an 18-member committee by the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd), charged with reclaiming ungoverned spaces for economic viability and repositioning the ‘Nigerian Legion Corps of Commissionaires and Veterans’. The committee was inaugurated on Tuesday at the Ministry of Defence headquarters in Abuja. A statement issued yesterday by the Ministry’s Deputy…

Niger: 6 farmers killed, as bandits invade farmlands

January 25, 2026January 25, 2026 Aminu Imam

No fewer than six farmers were reportedly killed Friday night in a fresh attack by suspected bandits in Unguwar Wawa community, located in Borgu LGA of Niger State. This was disclosed in a post on X yesterday by Bakatsine, a conflict and crisis journalist who reports on insecurity in the North-West region. According to the report, the assailants stormed the community at approximately 10:00 p.m. opening fire on farmers who were working on their farmlands. Following the attack, the bandits fled the scene, leaving residents in a state of fear…

Raids, Rustlings & Kidnappings: Insecurity spreads across Nigeria’s heartlands

January 18, 2026January 18, 2026 Aminu Imam

A fresh wave of violence across Nigeria has left farming and rural communities reeling, as banditry, kidnappings, cattle-rustling and insurgent attacks spread from the North-West to the South-South and parts of the South-East regions. Incidents reported this month in Sokoto, Kaduna, Delta, Edo, Benue, Enugu, Yobe, Nasarawa, Adamawa and Borno states underline the country’s persistent insecurity, particularly in remote settlements where poor communication and weak state presence enable attackers to strike with ease. In Sokoto’s Sabon-Birni LGA, at least seven villagers were killed, several injured and three abducted when armed…

Sokoto: Bandits kill 7 persons, abduct others

January 17, 2026January 17, 2026 Aminu Imam

…As IED explosion injures 5 in Zamfara At least seven people were reported killed and three others abducted in a bandit attack on a border community in Sokoto State, while a separate suspected improvised explosive device (IED) explosion left five persons seriously injured in neighbouring Zamfara State on Thursday. In Sokoto, according to a report by a security intelligence expert, Zagazola Makama, bandits stormed Kyara village in Sabon-Birni local government area in the early hours of the day, killing seven residents and kidnapping three others. The village, located near the…

Bandits impose ₦50,000 farming tax on Kano, Katsina settlements

January 13, 2026January 13, 2026 Aminu Imam

Armed groups operating in parts of Kano and Katsina states are allegedly extorting farmers, demanding up to ₦50,000 per acre from sugarcane growers before harvest, as they enforce a parallel system of governance within key forest reserves in the region. According to reports, the bandits have entrenched themselves in the Rugu Forest of Faskari local government area of Katsina State and Falgore Forest, of Doguwa LGA of Kano State, where they collect illegal farm taxes and issue threats against non-compliant farmers. The report noted that farmers, who refuse to pay…

“Why we released 70 suspected bandits from custody” – Katsina state Govt.

January 12, 2026January 12, 2026 Aminu Imam

Katsina state government has justified its reason for initiating steps to secure the release of 70 persons suspected to have been involved in banditry-related offences. Speaking in an interview at the weekend, the state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr. Nasir Mu’azu, said the release of the suspects was aimed at consolidating a peace deal entered into between communities affected by insecurity and repentant bandits. According to Mu’azu, the peace deal, which was entered into by at least 15 Local Government Areas, had seen repentant bandits release about…

“Backing bandits makes you one of them”, Defence Min. warns Nigerians

January 11, 2026January 11, 2026 Aminu Imam

Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd), has issued a stern warning to individuals and groups aiding terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and other criminal networks, urging them to desist or face the consequences as security forces intensify operations nationwide. Musa said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has authorised the Armed forces and other security agencies to decisively confront all elements undermining national security, including their collaborators. “I call on all Nigerians to continue to support the armed forces and security agencies and work for peace. To those that are still supporting those…