Bandit gangs maintain camps in a huge forest straddling Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and Niger states. The unrest is believed to have started from clashes between herders and farmers over land and resources, but later evolved into a broader conflict fueled by arms trafficking made possible by insecurity in the Sahel region. To make matters worse, the violence is spreading from the northwest, and the gangs are becoming increasingly well-armed and coordinated.
