Ganar Kiyawa massacre
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Several kidnapped
20+ refugees| Ganar Kiyawa massacre | |
|---|---|
| Part of Nigerian bandit conflict | |
| Location | Ganar Kiyawa, Bukkuyum LGA, Zamfara State, Nigeria |
| Date | March 20, 2022 |
| Victims | 37 killed
Several kidnapped 20+ refugees |
| Perpetrator | Unknown bandits |
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]