Ankara: Twenty-six farmers, killed in a bandit attack in Nigeria's northwestern Zamfara State, were buried on Friday, according to local sources and an official statement. The victims were attacked while working on their farms in the Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State on Thursday, local authorities said.

According to Anadolu Agency, the killings have renewed fears among farming communities, many of whom have abandoned their farmlands amid persistent attacks by heavily armed criminal gangs operating across the northwest. During a condolence visit to the affected community on behalf of Governor Dauda Lawal Dare, Zamfara Deputy Governor Mani Malam Mummuni urged residents to remain patient, saying the state government remained committed to defeating the armed groups.

'The Governor asked me to tell you to be more patient. It's not just you; he is aware of what everyone across Zamfara is going through,' Mummuni said. He ruled out any dialogue with the armed groups, insisting the government would not negotiate with them. 'By God's grace we will deal with them, but there will be no talks because it is deception, it is lies, and it is terrorism,' he said.

The latest killings come amid a sustained wave of attacks by bandits who continue to target farming communities, highways, and rural settlements across northwestern and north-central Nigeria through killings, kidnappings, cattle rustling, and extortion. The attack follows several deadly incidents in recent weeks.

In June, at least 17 farmers were killed and 13 others injured while working on their farms in Goron Namaye, Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State. The attack came days after gunmen abducted 39 residents who had gathered for talks aimed at negotiating the release of kidnapped relatives. Earlier in the month, another attack in Gora community, also in Maradun, left six farmers dead, around 10 others injured, and several residents abducted.

The violence has spread beyond Zamfara, as armed groups, in recent months, have carried out deadly attacks and mass kidnappings across the Katsina, Kaduna, Niger, and Sokoto states, while incidents have increasingly spread into parts of north-central and southwestern Nigeria. Earlier this month, the military announced that troops, backed by local vigilantes, killed more than 300 suspected bandits during a major offensive in Zamfara State, describing it as one of its largest recent operations against armed groups in the region.

Despite tactical gains by the military, armed groups continue to regroup in remote forests, financing their operations through ransom payments, illegal mining, and cattle rustling.