Non-State Armed Groups and Illicit Economies in West Africa: Armed Bandits in Nigeria
A Joint ACLED and GI-TOC Report
5 July 2024
The second in a joint series of publications by ACLED and GITOC explores the dynamics of armed banditry in North West Nigeria, aiming to unravel their evolution, structure and the illicit economies that bandit groups engage in for financing and resourcing, as well as their interactions with local communities and other non-state armed groups. Focusing on Nigeria’s North West region, this report explores the internal dynamics of armed bandit groups, as well as the ecosystem and landscapes within which they operate, identifying potential entry points for interventions. As concerns grow regarding potential alliances between some bandit groups and violent extremist organizations – namely Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Ansaru and Jama’atu AhlusSunnah Lidda’Awati Wal Jihad (JAS) – operating in North West, this report explores not only to what extent these alliances exist but what shapes their formation.
Le second rapport de la série conjointe étudie les dynamiques du banditisme armé dans le nord-ouest du Nigéria afin de comprendre son évolution, sa structure et les économies illicites auxquelles participents les groupes de bandits pour se financer et se procurer des ressources, de même que les interactions de ces groupes avec les communautés locales et d’autres groupes armés non étatiques.
Ce rapport se concentre sur la région du nord-ouest du Nigéria et explore les dynamiques internes des groupes de bandits armés ainsi que l’écosystème et le contexte au sein desquels ils opèrent.
