A series of coordinated attacks was carried out by armed Bandits on motorcycles in Kaduna State. Over a 48-hour period, the gunmen raided multiple villages in the Igabi and Chikun LGAs, shooting residents, setting fire to homes, stealing livestock, and abducting villagers. The attacks were reportedly a reprisal for the recent killing of several Bandits by the military's air operations.
25 Feb 2021 · Anaba, Angwan Kanti, Sanhu Makera (Igabi LGA); Barinje village and the Ministerial Pilot Housing Estate in Millennium City (Chikun LGA), Igabi & Chikun, Kaduna
Deaths
18
Kidnapped
0
Total casualties
18
Perpetrators
Bandits
Response
The Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, confirmed the attacks and casualty figures. Governor Nasir el-Rufai condemned the attacks and offered condolences.
Socioeconomic drivers
To force a cessation of airstrikes by punishing the civilian population for the military's successes.
Trajectory
In 2021, the conflict in the North West shifted from simple crime to a war on the population. By targeting the Millennium City estate, the Bandits signaled that they were moving from remote bush villages to the pre-urban fringes of the state capital.
Cycle notes
Mirrored earlier attacks including 01 May 2019 – Daura abduction targeting a high-profile individual to assert influence, 27 July 2019 – Badu Kuluwu massacre as a reprisal attack against civilian resistance, 24 August 2019 – Gajiram raid involving killings, looting, and abductions, 14 December 2019 – Fuhe attack combining cattle rustling with mass killing of herders, and broader Bandits raids across Zamfara, Katsina, and Kaduna (2018–2020), collectively reflecting a recurring pattern in which Bandits conduct coordinated, multi-village reprisals—targeting civilians, burning homes, stealing livestock, and carrying out abductions—to retaliate against military pressure, expand territorial influence, and signal a strategic shift from rural Banditry to sustained violence along peri-urban corridors in northwestern Nigeria.
Pattern
Cattle Rustling
Related — Banditry
A large group of suspected bandits stormed Kakafu village in Lade District, Patigi Local Government Area, Kwara State. The attackers opened fire indiscriminately, throwing the community into panic. The vigilante commander, popularly known as Tetengi, was shot dead while confronting the bandits and defending residents. Some residents were believed to have been abducted during the attack, though the exact number could not be immediately ascertained. Residents lamented the absence of security reinforcements during the attack, stating that calls for backup went unanswered. Tetengi's death threw Patigi and the neighbouring Edu LGA into mourning.
Armed Bandits attacked Jangebe community in Talata Mafara LGA, Zamfara State. Five members of the Community Protection Guards (CPG) and nine farmers were killed, while others were abducted.
Armed Bandits attacked Sarkin Bajaga village in Kajuru Local Government Area, Kaduna State, while farmers were working on their farmlands. Titus Victor, 34, was shot and fatally injured, while Nathan Andrew, 33, sustained gunshot injuries on his left thigh and was rushed to Bege Hospital, Maraban Kajuru, where he is responding to treatment. The deceased was confirmed dead by a medical doctor. An unspecified number of farmers were abducted to an unknown destination during the attack.