Rising Violence in Northwestern Nigeria Kills 371, Amnesty Says

(Bloomberg) -- Attacks by armed bandits on villages in a northwestern Nigerian state have claimed at least 371 lives this year, according to Amnesty International, as the more than five-year conflict spurred by clashes between farmers and herders continues to take its toll.

Daily killings and kidnappings by the bandits in Zamfara state have left villages in constant fear of attack, the London-based rights group said Tuesday in a statement, citing interviews with survivors. Thousands of people have fled their homes since the conflict began in 2012, Amnesty said.

A July 27 attack on 18 villages in Zamfara left 42 people dead and another 15 people were kidnapped the following day. That violence prompted President Muhammadu Buhari to announce on Sunday that 1,000 army, air force and police officers were being deployed to protect communities.

To contact the reporter on this story: Yinka Ibukun in Lagos at yibukun@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Karl Maier at kmaier2@bloomberg.net, Michael Gunn, Paul Richardson

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