Normalisation of violence
Gunmen killed 50 and abducted dozens in a Katsina mosque attack, amid a surge of violence across northern Nigerian states.
At least 50 people were killed and dozens abducted during an armed attack on a mosque in Katsina State, northern Nigeria, on 18 August. The assault, attributed to so-called bandits, is part of a broader surge in violence across northern states, with attacks also reported in Benue, Kaduna, and Borno. Armed groups have increasingly targeted religious sites and rural communities, prompting intensified security operations. The Nigerian military and air force have conducted successful missions, killing dozens of insurgents and rescuing over 70 hostages. Despite these efforts, widespread insecurity persists, marked by killings, kidnappings, and cattle rustling. Authorities have pledged reinforced deployments to contain the violence and protect civilians.
The recent attack in Malumfashi, Katsina State, highlights a disturbing trend across Nigeria: the increasing targeting of places of worship. This incident, which took place during evening prayers, was the deadliest of its kind and is a grim reflection of a similar attack in Ruwan Jema, Zamfara State, in September 2022. The fact that such a massacre no longer dominates headlines is a sign not of progress, but of the increasing normalisation and desensitisation to mass violence. This constant routinisation of attacks on communities and religious sites points to a country drifting into chronic instability.
While financial gain, primarily for ransom extraction, appears to be the main motive behind these attacks, deeper political and social dynamics are also at play. Some incidents stem from growing hostility between bandit groups and local communities suspected of collaborating with security forces. Others are deliberate efforts to pressure the government into granting amnesty agreements that it has rejected.
Katsina is rapidly becoming the new epicentre of insecurity in the Northwest, surpassing Zamfara. According to SBM Intel's report on Nigeria’s kidnap industry, Katsina accounted for 13.1% of national kidnap-related incidents. Zamfara, however, still recorded the highest number of victims with 1,203 abductions, making up 25.4% of the national total.
Despite the presence of security forces and vigilantes, the response to this crisis remains insufficient. The government's efforts focus on episodic, kinetic measures, such as airstrikes and rescue operations, which, while sometimes effective, are unsustainable. The failure to implement structural solutions, like securing porous borders and disarming non-state actors, has created a fragmented and reactive posture that has eroded public trust.
This is compounded by the absence of political will to pursue comprehensive settlements, as seen in Benue State, where violence involving Fulani herdsmen continues to displace communities with little progress toward resolution. While officials may point to recent arrests of high-profile suspects as symbolic victories, these tactical gains are undermined by the failure to address the broader convergence of terrorism, banditry, and organised crime. Dismantling the financial and logistical networks sustaining these groups is far more important than achieving symbolic victories.
At the heart of the crisis is the evolution of banditry and kidnapping into structured economic enterprises. For armed groups across the Northwest and beyond, abductions, cattle rustling, and raids have become lucrative livelihoods. In a country marked by poverty, unemployment, and weak governance, illicit violence offers a more predictable income than farming or trade. This has entrenched a self-sustaining economy of insecurity that thrives in the vacuum left by the state.
Nigeria’s security architecture is ill-equipped to confront this multidimensional threat. The military is overstretched, fighting on multiple fronts, from insurgency in the Northeast to communal violence in the Middle Belt. The police force is underfunded and lacks capacity. This has left communities to rely on local vigilantes, which, while offering short-term protection, often exacerbate cycles of reprisal and impunity.
Nigeria is not just facing isolated outbreaks of violence; it is confronting a systemic crisis where criminal enterprise is becoming embedded in national life. If left unaddressed, the country risks institutionalising insecurity with serious implications for regional stability.
A fundamental recalibration of strategy is urgently required. A formal state of emergency on security could be more than a symbolic gesture. It could catalyse inter-agency coordination, improve intelligence sharing, and unlock resources for a unified national response. However, any lasting solution must extend beyond military operations. Insecurity in Nigeria is both a security and a development crisis. Without meaningful investment in employment, education, and rural infrastructure, armed violence will remain a viable economic alternative for many.
The path forward demands a fundamental shift in strategy. Only by addressing insecurity as an interconnected economic, political, and military challenge can sustainable progress be achieved.