Link to article: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/8/gunmen-kill-48-in-northwest-nigeria-attacks-local-official
Gunmen on motorcycles wreaked havoc on three villages in Nigeria by opening fire and killing at least 48 people. This attack was coordinated and carried out by dozens of gumen who entered the villages on motorcycles, shooting people as they tried to flee the attack. The village hit the worst was Damri, where 32 of the dead were killed there. These gangs of criminals are known by the name “bandits” due to their masterminding frequent bouts of abduction, maiming, sexual violence and killings of citizens across northern parts of Nigeria. Recent data has shown that the bandits are responsible for more than 2,600 civilian deaths in 2021 alone.
I think that this may have been in response to the government banning all ransoms in the country. Not too long ago, the Nigerian Senate passed a bill amending the countries terrorism law that makes paying ransom in the case of a kidnapping illegal, and making Kidnapping that results in someone being killed punishable by death. This attack happened fairly soon after the bill was passed. The “Bandits’” probably are not happy with the new ban, due to the fact that they can no longer collect money from ransom payments. This attack may be the “bandits” acting out and causing a scene in order to prove their point and show that they are mad.
This relates back to class due to levels of analysis. On a state level, with the growing number of kidnappings for ransom that have happened over the last few decades, it is understandable that Nigeria wants to do something in order to try and lower the amount of kidnappings for ransom that occur. They used this reasoning to justify making a law that makes paying ransom illegal. On an Individual level, the “bandits” may have attacked as a way to act out due to being upset over the new bill passed. They are trying to prove their point, that you can ban ransoms in order to try and decrease the amount of violence, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t find other ways to create havoc.