271 children among 484 displaced in fresh Zamfara bandit attack — IOM

A recent bandit attack in Nigeria's Zamfara State has left 484 people displaced, with children making up over half of those forced to flee their homes. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) revealed the figures in a fresh assessment following the June 15 incident in Gummi Local Government Area.

“

The attack displaced 484 people from 101 households, with children accounting for more than half of those forced to flee their homes.

The attack, which affected 101 households, saw 271 children among the displaced. This latest wave of displacement exacerbates the ongoing crisis in Nigeria's North-West region. Between December 2025 and June 2026 alone, over 143,189 people were displaced across the region, bringing the total number of internally displaced persons to more than 794,018.

The IOM's Displacement Tracking Matrix activated a rapid assessment on June 16, a day after the attack, as part of its early warning protocol. The report described the violence as part of a persistent pattern fueled by long-standing tensions between farmers and herders, as well as ethnic and religious groups in the North-West.

“

The victims fled from Gamo Gidan Bita in Birnin Magaji Ward to Ubandawaki in Magaji Gari Ward following the June 15 attack.

Of the 484 displaced individuals, 271 were children, 129 were women, and 84 were men. Females constituted 60 percent of the displaced population, while males accounted for 40 percent. The age breakdown indicates that girls aged six to 12 formed the largest female age group at 12 percent of all displaced persons, with women aged 18 to 59 making up 25 percent. Adult men in the same age bracket represented 16 percent of the displaced. Infants under one year old were also among those forced to leave their homes.

“

The attack is part of a persistent pattern of violence fuelled by long-standing tensions between farmers and herders, as well as ethnic and religious groups across the North-West.

The attack resulted in five casualties: three deaths and two injuries. The most urgent needs identified for the displaced persons were food, shelter, and non-food items, with all assessed households requiring assistance. This incident is the latest in a series of bandit assaults that have plagued the North-West since 2011, evolving from farmer-herder disputes into organized armed criminality affecting Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, and Kebbi states.

“

Food, shelter and non-food items are the most urgent needs of the displaced persons, with all assessed households requiring assistance.