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The Digest:

At least 17 people have been killed in violent clashes between bandits and illegal miners in Kaduna State’s Birnin Gwari district, following a dispute over extorted gold. The conflict erupted when miners mobilized and killed a bandit leader who had demanded gold at gunpoint, triggering reprisal attacks on both the mining site and a nearby village.

Key Points:
  • The death toll has risen to 17 following clashes in Birnin Gwari, Kaduna.
  • Violence began when a bandit leader extorted gold from miners by force.
  • Miners retaliated by killing the bandit, prompting a deadly reprisal.
  • Bandits raided Layin Danauta village, killing residents and destroying property.
  • The region had experienced relative peace since a November 2024 agreement.
  • Illegal mining has become a key revenue source for bandits and jihadist allies.
  • Security reports warn of further violence and a breakdown of the peace deal.
The resurgence of violence underscores the fragile nature of localized peace efforts when economic desperation and criminal interests collide in ungoverned spaces.

Sources: Channels Television, AFP