Vigilante Groups and Rural Banditry in Zamfara State: Excesses and Contradictions

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Vigilante Groups and Rural Banditry in Zamfara State: Excesses and Contradictions

Journal Title: International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention - Year 2018, Vol 7, Issue 6

Abstract

North-western Nigeria has witnessed high levels of cattle rustling and rural banditry in recent times. Virtually all states in this zone have faced one form of violence or the other as a result of cattle rustling. The Zamfara State experience seems to be amongst the worst incidences, with rural dwellers at the receiving end. Regrettably, most of the newspaper reports about banditry in Zamfara seem to be one-sided or passing statements. Rural banditry and cattle rustling in the state is quite different from other states. This is because of the active involvement of the vigilante groups in the conflict. In other areas, the vigilante contributed in cushioning the effect of banditry while in Zamfara, some of the vigilante members seized the opportunity of the conflict to ‘witch-hunt their old foes’. Moreover, with the increase in the spate of the conflict in 2014, the vigilante group had divided opinions on how to approach the menace. Some were of the view that the bandits should be violently fought while others advocated for a peaceful approach. This led to the emergence of parallel vigilante groups in the state: the militant and non- militant wings. This division and violent approach to the bandits triggered the conflict to a certain proportion in 2015. As a result of this, whenever and wherever the bandits strike, their explanation is that they are on a ‘vengeance mission’ or ‘reprisal attack’ against the vigilante members that carried out extra-judicial killings on their fellow members. The aim of this paper is to assess the role of vigilante groups in the fight against rural banditry in Zamfara State and also trace the genesis of the division amongst the vigilante and how it further worsened the conflict between the vigilante groups on one hand and the bandits on the other.

Authors and Affiliations

Dr. Murtala Ahmed Rufa’i

Keywords

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EP ID EP399095
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