Hundreds of protesters, mostly elderly women and nursing mothers from Jimrawa village in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State, on Thursday took to the streets of Gusau in a peaceful demonstration over worsening insecurity in their communities.
The protesters, dressed in black and carrying placards with messages such as “Enough is Enough”, “We Want Peace” and “Stop the Killings”, marched through major roads in the state capital before converging at the Government House to demand urgent intervention.
According to the women, bandits have continued to wreak havoc in Jimrawa and neighboring villages, abducting residents, killing farmers, and forcing entire communities into displacement and hunger.
One of the protesters, a nursing mother who identified herself as Fatima Ibrahim, said, “We can’t go to our farms, our husbands have either been killed or abducted, and we are living in constant fear. We need the government to protect us.”
Thursday’s protest comes just two weeks after a similar demonstration by residents of Gusau Local Government Area, who alleged that persistent bandit attacks had claimed more than 100 lives in villages such as Mada, Ruwan Bore, Fegin Baza, Lilo, and Bangi.
Despite repeated promises from security agencies and political leaders, residents say there has been little to no improvement in the security situation.
As of press time, no official statement had been released by the Zamfara State Government, but security operatives were seen monitoring the peaceful protest to prevent any escalation.
Zamfara remains one of Nigeria’s most severely affected states by armed banditry, with thousands of people killed, displaced, or kidnapped in recent years.
