Gold miners in Nigeria’s northern state of Zamfara are facing growing security risks as armed groups seek to impose levies on mining activities and control mineral-rich areas, threatening livelihoods and economic activity in the region.

This was contained in a report titled ‘Nigeria Security and Political Economy’, covering 2-8 October, 2026, released on Monday by SBM Intelligence. The report examines security incidents and their political and economic implications across Nigeria.

Zamfara lies within one of West Africa’s significant gold-bearing belts, where artisanal mining has taken place for decades. However, much of the trade operates through informal channels, limiting government revenue and the wider economic benefits available to mining communities.

The report linked an attack on a military base in Binding, Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State, to a dispute between local miners and a gang led by bandit kingpin, Muhammad Dankarami, over payments for mining activities.

According to the report, the dispute escalated after miners allegedly killed a member of the gang, prompting the armed group to attack the military base in retaliation and attempt to seize mining pits it considered part of its economic territory.

Gwaska reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack in an audio message accompanied by photographs. The incident was initially attributed to the Lakurawa group, but the report noted that the relationship between the two groups remained unclear. Although they operate in overlapping areas and sometimes collaborate, they have different objectives.

The military subsequently withdrew from the base, according to SBM Intelligence, creating a security vacuum that prompted residents to blockade the departing convoy.