Situation report: Zamfara State
State.
| Level Extreme |
Coordinates 12°00′47″N 6°03′04″E 12.0130, 6.0510 |
Covers 14 LGAs |
Report date 2026-09-28 |
Under a US Level 4 advisory: Kidnapping.
Map: LGAs shaded by twelve-month ACLED intensity (2025-10 to 2026-09); black outline = this state; dashed = state lines; squares = military installations (town level).
Conflict intensity, last twelve months (ACLED)
| Political-violence events | 825 |
| Deaths in those events | 1,786 |
| Attacks on civilians | 514 |
| Civilians killed | 827 |
| LGAs at extreme | 10 |
| LGAs at high | 4 |
| LGAs at elevated | 0 |
Where it concentrates
| LGA | Level | Civ. killed | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anka | Extreme | 161 | steady |
| Tsafe | Extreme | 146 | falling |
| Talata Mafara | Extreme | 104 | steady |
| Gusau | Extreme | 73 | falling |
| Maru | Extreme | 73 | steady |
| Bukkuyum | Extreme | 72 | falling |
| Maradun | Extreme | 47 | falling |
| Kaura Namoda | Extreme | 39 | falling |
| Zurmi | Extreme | 21 | falling |
| Gummi | Extreme | 18 | rising |
| Birnin Magaji | High | 26 | rising |
| Bungudu | High | 25 | steady |
| Bakura | High | 16 | falling |
| Shinkafi | High | 6 | falling |
How it developed
Archive record
11 incidents in the Dustline archive fall here, with 114 deaths recorded.
| Date | Place | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-21 | Gusau, Zamfara | Security forces intercept transit truck loaded with 5,000 rounds of live ammunition in Gusau |
| 2026-07-09 | Anka, Zamfara | Troops repel massed bandit assault on Bagega mining community in Anka |
| 2026-06-16 | Maradun, Zamfara | Operation Fansan Yamma raids bandit logistics suppliers in Maradun corridor |
| 2026-05-13 | Shinkafi, Zamfara | Inter-gang clash between rival bandit syndicates leaves 15 dead near Sububu forest |
| 2026-04-11 | Tsafe, Zamfara | Troops neutralize 6 bandits attempting roadblock on Gusau-Funtua highway |
| 2026-03-08 | Zurmi, Zamfara | Operation Fansan Yamma ground assault captures bandit weapons cache in Zurmi |
| 2026-02-09 | Maru, Zamfara | NAF air strikes destroy bandit kingpin logistics enclave in Bingi forest |
| 2026-01-05 | Anka, Zamfara | Troops of Operation Hadarin Daji neutralise 8 armed bandits in Wuya forest sweep |
| 2025-08-01 | Bakura, Zamfara | Bandits abduct more than 50 in Sabon Garin Damri, Zamfara |
| 2021-02-05 | Shinkafi, Zamfara | Nigerian security forces (against Boko Haram) — Shinkafi, Zamfara (2021-02-05) |
Military installations within 150 km
| 8 Division | Sokoto | 141 km |
Advisories and named areas
US travel advisory: Zamfara State — Kidnapping (Level 4, do not travel).
Named danger areas: Rugu Forest (Katsina–Zamfara), Central Zamfara forests (Tsafe–Maru–Anka), Eastern Sokoto (Sabon Birni–Isa–Goronyo)
Limits
- ACLED counts recorded events. Rural violence is under-reported everywhere, and more so where journalists cannot go.
- Levels summarise twelve months; a road can change within days. Current advisories and local security briefings outrank this report.
Sources: Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), www.acleddata.com — aggregates via HDX, as of 25 September 2026. Boundaries: OCHA COD-AB Nigeria (CC BY-IGO). Map base: Natural Earth (public domain), naturalearthdata.com; state boundaries OCHA COD-AB Nigeria (CC BY-IGO). Archive: Dustline snapshot of dustlinemap.online, 22 September 2026. Advisory: US Department of State.