Gusau, Zamfara State, February 21, 2026 – Tragedy struck the remote village of Tungan Dutse in Nigeria's northwestern Zamfara State late Thursday, February 19, as armed assailants, commonly referred to locally as "bandits," launched a prolonged assault that left at least 50 people dead and several women and children abducted. The attack, which began around 5:00 p.m. on Thursday and persisted until approximately 3:30 a.m. on Friday, February 20, involved gunmen on motorcycles who set fire to homes, shot fleeing residents, and terrorized the community over several hours.
Hamisu A. Faru, the state lawmaker representing Bukkuyum South constituency, confirmed the grim details to multiple news outlets, including Reuters and Anadolu Agency. Speaking by phone on Friday and Saturday, Faru described how the attackers moved methodically from one part of the village to another, burning buildings and opening fire on those attempting to escape. "They have been moving from one village to another... leaving at least 50 people dead," he told Reuters. In an interview with Anadolu, Faru added, “No one slept since Thursday and this morning. Some people lost three family members.”
Abdullahi Sani, a 41-year-old resident of Tungan Dutse, provided a firsthand account of the devastation, telling Reuters that three members of his own family were among the victims. The scale of the loss has left the community in mourning, with bodies prepared for a mass burial on Saturday. Corpses were reportedly robed in white in accordance with Islamic traditions, as local officials and residents gathered to perform final rites amid ongoing efforts to account for the missing.
The exact number of abductees remains uncertain, as authorities continue to compile lists from displaced families and survivors. Women and children were specifically targeted for kidnapping—a common tactic in the region's banditry—often for ransom or forced labor. Survivors described chaotic scenes of gunfire, flames engulfing thatched-roof homes, and residents fleeing into the surrounding bush or neighboring communities under cover of darkness.
The assault on Tungan Dutse is the latest in a relentless wave of violence plaguing Nigeria's northwest, particularly Zamfara State, which has become one of the epicenters of bandit activities. These armed criminal gangs, operating from remote forest hideouts, have carried out thousands of killings, mass abductions, cattle rustling, and village raids since the early 2010s. The violence has displaced hundreds of thousands, disrupted farming in fertile regions, and exacerbated food insecurity in an area already vulnerable to climate challenges and poverty.
Zamfara's security crisis overlaps with similar threats in neighboring states such as Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Niger, where bandit groups sometimes collaborate with or compete against Islamist insurgents like ISWAP factions. In recent months, coordinated raids have intensified, with attackers using motorcycles for rapid mobility across rugged terrain. A separate but related incident in Dutsin Dan Ajiya village, Anka Local Government Area, saw at least 30 killed and several abducted around the same period, highlighting the widespread nature of the insecurity.
The Nigerian government has responded with military operations, including the deployment of troops under Operations Hadarin Daji and Whirl Punch, aimed at flushing out bandit enclaves in forests like Dansadau and Munhaye. President Bola Tinubu's administration has emphasized collaboration with international partners, including technical support and intelligence sharing from the United States, as well as regional efforts through the Multinational Joint Task Force. Despite these measures, critics argue that responses remain reactive, hampered by inadequate funding, poor intelligence, corruption allegations, and the sheer scale of the problem.
Local communities in Zamfara have repeatedly called for more proactive measures, including community policing, better-equipped vigilante groups, and sustained military presence in vulnerable areas. Governor Dauda Lawal has faced pressure to address the surge, with some residents accusing authorities of failing to protect rural populations. The governor's office has not issued a detailed statement on the Tungan Dutse incident as of Saturday, though state security agencies are reportedly involved in recovery and investigation efforts.
Human rights organizations and analysts have warned that unchecked banditry risks further destabilizing the region, fueling humanitarian crises, and potentially creating space for extremist recruitment. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and other agencies have documented massive displacement in Zamfara, with flash reports noting thousands fleeing attacks in early 2026 alone.
As the mass burial proceeds and families search for missing loved ones, the Tungan Dutse attack serves as a stark reminder of the persistent human cost of insecurity in Nigeria's northwest. Residents expressed profound grief and frustration, with one survivor telling local media, "We live in fear every day—when will this end?" Without comprehensive reforms addressing root causes such as poverty, youth unemployment, illicit arms flows, and governance failures, experts fear such tragedies will continue to recur.
