Monday, February 23, 2026 l Dalena News Desk
ABUJA & BAUCHI, NIGERIA — Human rights organisation Amnesty International has voiced deep alarm as insecurity escalates in parts of northern Nigeria, following the killing of **four civilians by unidentified gunmen in Bauchi State, underscoring what the group described as an expanding pattern of bandit attacks that are “getting out of hand.”
The incident, reported over the weekend, occurred in a rural community in Bauchi State, where local residents said a group of gunmen stormed a village and fatally shot four people before fleeing. While official confirmation of the identities of the assailants remains pending, the nature of the attack involving armed men targeting civilians aligns with a broader trend of banditry and gunmen violence across northern Nigeria.
Amnesty International’s statement, shared on social media and echoed by human rights advocates, emphasised that violence by armed groups and criminal gangs across several states has surged, creating an environment where communities live in fear of random and deadly attacks. The organisation stressed that incidents like those in Bauchi are part of a wider security crisis that demands urgent government attention to protect vulnerable populations.
Security experts and local activists say that “bandits,” a term commonly used in Nigeria to refer to loosely organised armed groups, have been responsible for kidnappings, killings and large-scale raids on villages across the North-West and North-Central regions of the country. The definition and identity of such groups can vary widely, with some attacks attributed to criminal gangs motivated by ransom profit and others linked at least in patterns of violence to Islamist militants or irregular armed networks.
Amnesty International’s recent warning highlighted that attacks by gunmen have caused significant loss of life and widespread displacement, and called on Nigerian authorities to strengthen protection for civilians and pursue effective strategies to dismantle the networks that terrorise communities. The group has previously documented how government responses have struggled to stem the tide of violence and have left many rural residents vulnerable to repeated assaults.
The tragic episode in Bauchi has drawn renewed scrutiny of security policy in the region, where residents have decried what they describe as inadequate protection and slow responses from law enforcement and military units tasked with safeguarding their towns and villages. Local leaders say that the cumulative effect of persistent attacks has eroded confidence and disrupted daily life for countless families.
Amnesty International reiterated its call for urgent, coordinated action by federal and state governments to prioritise civilian safety, prevent further killings, and address the root causes that fuel militancy and banditry in parts of Nigeria’s volatile northern belt.