Gold miners in Zamfara State are facing growing security threats as armed groups seek to impose levies on mining operations and seize control of mineral-rich areas, according to a report by SBM Intelligence.

The report, titled Nigeria Security and Political Economy.

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Examines security incidents across Nigeria and their political and economic implications.

Zamfara is part of a major gold-bearing belt in West Africa, where artisanal mining has provided livelihoods for decades.

However, much of the trade operates informally, limiting government revenue and the economic benefits available to mining communities.

SBM Intelligence linked an attack on a military base in Bindin, Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State, to a dispute between local miners and a gang led by bandit kingpin Muhammad Dankarami over payments for mining activities.

According to the report, the dispute escalated after miners allegedly killed a member of the gang.

The armed group reportedly retaliated by attacking the military base and attempting to take over mining pits it regarded as part of its economic territory.

The report said Gwaska claimed responsibility for the attack in an audio message accompanied by photographs.

The incident was initially attributed to the Lakurawa group, although SBM Intelligence said the relationship between the two groups remained unclear.

While the groups reportedly operate in overlapping areas and sometimes cooperate, the report noted that they have different objectives.

SBM Intelligence said troops subsequently withdrew from the base, creating a security vacuum.

Residents reportedly responded by blockading the departing military convoy.

The report warned that Gwaska’s group could strengthen its control over the Bindin gold-mining site and surrounding corridor while the military reassessed its position.

It added that miners and nearby communities could face further insecurity in the short term.

The incident highlights the difficulties of regulating mining in an area where gold provides income for residents but also attracts criminal groups seeking to exploit the trade.

In December 2024, the Federal Government lifted a five-year suspension of mining activities in Zamfara, citing improvements in security and the potential to revive economic activity in the mineral-rich state.

The government had imposed the restriction in 2019 amid concerns about insecurity and illegal mining.

Illegal mining reportedly continued during the suspension, underscoring the challenges of enforcing restrictions in communities where the trade remains an important source of livelihood.

The Zamfara State Government has also taken steps to strengthen oversight. In January 2024, Governor Dauda Lawal prohibited traditional rulers from issuing consent letters for mining activities across the state’s 14 local government areas, citing concerns that the practice contributed to illegal mining and insecurity.

The measure reflected official efforts to bring mining arrangements under greater regulatory control.

Beyond the Bindin attack, SBM Intelligence described a wider expansion of armed groups’ influence in Zamfara, where rival factions compete for territory, extortion routes and control of economic activities.

According to the report, Lakurawa, which has traditionally operated in parts of Sokoto and Kebbi states, has expanded into areas of Zamfara, including Shinkafi, Maradun and Tsafe.

The group has reportedly established what the report described as a “Dawla”, or governing structure, in some locations.

SBM Intelligence also said it had absorbed or co-opted some bandit factions and taken over their camps.

The report identified insecurity along the Goronyo–Sokoto Road as another threat to economic activity.

Bandits reportedly blocked the road and abducted passengers, with the report linking highway kidnappings to the financial gains available to armed groups.

It warned that repeated attacks along the route could increase transportation and logistics costs as operators sought safer passage or encountered illegal checkpoints.

In a separate incident in Zamfara, bandit kingpin Kachalla Mu’azu and six members of his gang were reportedly killed during a clash with a rival armed group around Mada in Gusau Local Government Area.

SBM Intelligence warned that the killings could trigger reprisals and further fragment armed groups, potentially increasing opportunistic kidnappings and extortion against farming communities during the harvest season.

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The report said sustained security operations and efforts to dismantle armed groups’ bases would be necessary to prevent further violence from disrupting livelihoods and economic activity in affected communities.