READ: Gunmen Attack Gold Mining Village in Nigeria’s Zamfara State, Killing at Least 20

In a violent assault on Thursday afternoon, hundreds of gunmen stormed the gold mining village of Gobirawa Chali in Zamfara state’s Maru local government area, northwestern Nigeria, killing at least 20 people. The attackers opened fire on miners, sparking a firefight that left more than 20 dead, according to local resident Ismail Hassan. Another resident, Isah Ibrahim, reported that 21 bodies were recovered, with several others injured.

The motive for the attack remains unclear. Zamfara state has been plagued by armed gangs notorious for kidnappings for ransom, often targeting both civilians and security forces. These groups typically operate from remote forest hideouts, exploiting the region’s vast, sparsely patrolled terrain.

The Nigerian military, already stretched thin by multiple security challenges—including an Islamist insurgency in the northeast, farmer-herder conflicts in the central region, and separatist tensions in the south—has struggled to curb the violence in the northwest. No immediate comment was available from the Zamfara state police spokesperson.