An armed group is burning cars on the Dansadau-Gusau road in Zamfara State. They have burned close to 50 vehicles since last week. They have threatened to burn 250. They are filming the destruction and posting the videos on TikTok. The group chased out an entire village and set vehicles and houses ablaze. The government has not responded. The road is deadly.
Banditry in Zamfara has escalated over the past decade. Armed groups operate from forest camps. They block highways, rustle cattle and abduct travellers. In 2021, the federal government declared Zamfara a no-fly zone. Military operations intensified. The attacks continued. In 2023, the government granted amnesty to some groups. The programme failed. The bandits regrouped. They are now better armed and more brazen. The Dansadau-Gusau road has become a killing field. Previous attacks were met with silence. This group has added a new tactic. It films its crimes and posts them online.
The group burned nine cars today. That brought the total to almost 30 this week alone. The video shows a village in flames. Vehicles are reduced to shells. The bandit posted the footage himself. He said he will not stop until villagers return the weapons they seized after killing his men. The villagers had defended themselves. The bandits retaliated. The cycle continues. The police have not commented. The state government has not issued a statement. The military has not announced any operation. The road remains unsafe.
The use of TikTok is significant. Bandits have used social media before. They post videos to intimidate communities and attract recruits. The platforms have struggled to remove the content. The government has not enforced takedowns. The bandits operate with impunity. They are not hiding. They are broadcasting.
Winners: The bandits, who gain propaganda. Social media platforms, which gain engagement. No one else. Losers: The villagers, who were chased out. The car owners, who lost their vehicles. Travellers, who cannot use the road. The government, whose authority is mocked. The military, which has not responded. The state, which is losing control of its territory.
Bottom Line: Bandits are burning cars and posting the videos. The government is silent. The military has not acted. The road is closed. The villagers are displaced. The cycle of violence continues. Until the state reclaims the roads, the bandits will keep filming. And the world will keep watching.