This archive report was first published on 6 November 2019.
Published on November 6, 2019, the United Nations has released emergency aid to support thousands of refugees who have fled northwest Nigeria due to escalating violence and attacks blamed on armed gangs.
The violence, which includes kidnappings, killings, and sexual violence, is not linked to Boko Haram's Islamist insurgency in northeast Nigeria.
According to Nigeria's Interior Minister Mohamed Bazoum, the 'armed bandits' in Niger kidnap for ransom, attack traders, and raid cattle they bring to Nigeria.
Between January 1 and August 31, 2019, authorities in Maradi reported 81 attacks by the 'armed bandits', resulting in over 30 deaths, 34 injuries, 92 kidnappings, and the theft of 3,000 cattle.
Some kidnapped individuals were released after ransom payments, while others were freed during military operations, a security source revealed.
Additionally, in December 2018, 10 soldiers were killed in a joint operation along the border, with 11 attackers neutralized.
Niger is home to 450,000 refugees and internally displaced people, driven out by jihadist violence or armed gangs, according to the UN.
