Gunmen in Nigeria killed eight people on Sunday, 24 September, and abducted at least 60 others in two communities of northwest Zamfara state. This comes only two days after armed men kidnapped 24 women and 11 staff from a university in the same state. Elsewhere, in the northeast of the country, Islamist insurgents ambushed a convoy of vehicles under military escort, killing two soldiers and four civilians over the past week. President Bola Tinubu, who came to power in May 2023, has yet to spell out a plan on how he intends to tackle widespread insecurity. So far, the situation has only worsened. In fact, his economic reforms, including the removal of costly fuel subsidies and freeing the naira currency, have increased the cost of leaving for the average Nigerian. Therefore, growing numbers of people are likely to resort to illegal means of survival due to deteriorating economic conditions. Banditry and violent attacks are frequent in Northern Nigeria and there is a high threat of kidnap. Incidents of inter-communal violence occur with relative frequency attacks by Boko Haram and other Islamist groups are especially common around transport hubs, religious areas and large gatherings of people. o During the dry season (which normally runs from around October to March) this risk is likely to be heightened.
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