In a harrowing escalation of violence plaguing Nigeria’s northwest, bandits have executed 38 hostages from Banga Village in Zamfara State’s Kaura Namoda Local Government Area, despite receiving over N50 million in ransom payments. The killings, described by survivors as systematic and brutal, have exposed the deepening grip of armed groups on rural communities and sparked outrage over failed security interventions.  

Local resident Aminu Musa Banga, who confirmed the atrocity to LEADERSHIP, revealed that 56 villagers were abducted over several months, with kidnappers initially demanding N1 million per captive. Families scrambled to gather funds, pooling over N50 million to secure their loved ones’ release. Instead, the payment triggered a bloodbath. “The bandits slaughtered them one by one after we paid,” Banga stated, citing accounts from 16 survivors who witnessed the killings. Among the dead were 37 men and one woman, their bodies left unburied in the bandits’ forest enclave.  

The terror group has now seized control of Banga Village, displacing residents and sending shockwaves through neighboring communities. “They’ve taken over our homes. Everyone nearby has fled,” Banga said, pleading for urgent military deployment to reclaim the area.  

Kaura Namoda Local Government Chairman Mannir Mu’azu Haidara confirmed the survivors’ ordeal, noting they were released with severe injuries from relentless beatings. “They are hospitalized here, but their trauma is unimaginable,” Haidara said, vowing collaboration with state and federal authorities to restore order. Zamfara Governor Dauda Lawal’s office reiterated commitments to “overcome insecurity,” though details of concrete measures remain scarce.  

Zamfara Police Command’s spokesperson, Yazid Abubakar, denied receiving formal reports of the incident, urging residents to “promptly alert security agencies”—a response met with skepticism by locals who cite repeated unheeded pleas for help.  

The tragedy has drawn a rare political apology. Federal lawmaker Aminu Sani Jaji, representing Kaura Namoda/Birnin Magaji Constituency, publicly mourned the victims on social media: “I apologize for perceived shortcomings in protecting our community.” Jaji, who chairs the House Committee on Ecological Fund, pledged to “advocate for resources to rebuild and prevent future attacks.”  

Zamfara’s crisis mirrors a nationwide epidemic: armed groups, often labeled “bandits,” continue to raid villages, impose illegal taxes, and kidnap civilians with near-impunity. Analysts warn that ransoms—reportedly exceeding billions of naira annually—fuel further violence, creating a vicious cycle of extortion and bloodshed.  

As grieving families bury their dead, questions mount over Nigeria’s security strategy. For Banga’s survivors, hope now hinges on whether pledges of intervention will translate into action—or if their village, like countless others, will fade into another statistic of unchecked terror.