Ganar Kiyawa massacre

On March 20, 2022, at least 37 people were killed by bandits in the village of Ganar Kiyawa, in Bukkuyum, Zamfara State, Nigeria.

Zamfara State has been a hotbed of over 100 different bandit groups for years, with kidnappings and massacres frequent in villages that don't pay ransom or are not close to a Nigerian military post.^[1] In January 2022, a bandit attack on several villages killed over 200 people in Bukkuyum LGA, where Ganar Kiyawa is located.^[2] In two villages near Ganar Kiyawa in February, bandits collected a 12 million naira ransom for 26 civilians abducted from the town and the neighboring Nasarawa Burkullu.^[2] In the weeks leading up to the attack, Ganar Kiyawa residents paid 2 million naira in harvest taxes, and another two million ransom for civilians.^[3]

Residents of Ganar Kiyawa expected the attack ahead of time, with the men of the village sleeping in the bush the night before anticipating the attack.^[2] The bandits had entered the town the past few nights attempting to attack, but because no one was there sleeping, they left.^[2]

To surprise the inhabitants, the bandits attacked the morning of March 20, when all the civilians came back from the bush from sleeping.^[2] Witnesses stated that the bandits shot indiscriminately once they entered the village from the western side, before going house to house and shooting everyone inside.^[2] Shops in the town were looted as well.^[2] According to a community leader in the Bukkuyum LGA, the village head, local traditional rulers, and many others were killed.^[2] Twenty villagers fled to nearby villages, and those who couldn't make it were kidnapped.^[2][4]

The next day, survivors picked up the bodies of 24 people in the village, and stated many more are likely left in the bush.^[2] The bandits arrived at the village cemetery that same day, assuming funerals were going on for the buried, but no one was there, so they left.^[3] The funerals instead took place at Adabka, three kilometers away.^[3] The death toll later rose to 37 killed.^[4]

The Zamfara State police stated 16 people were killed, with the police spokesperson and a military spokesperson visiting the village.^[3] Zamfara State governor Bello Matawalle expressed his condolences.^[3]