Brutal and emboldened: how Nigeria’s bandit crisis spun out of control

Conflicts over land and resources have deepened owing to climate breakdown, deforestation and population growth Beneath the shade of the wide-spreading branches of a neem tree, five young gang members wearing camouflage and beanies and cradling AK47 rifles took refuge from the harsh midday sun. They passed around cold bottles of water and a popular energy drink called Fearless. To their left, a dreadlocked teenager with his own rifle rested on one of three motorcycles parked on the sparse grass. To their right, another teenager sat with his back to the others, rolling a spliff. The rendezvous of some of the most dreaded men in Nigeria took place near Batsari, a settlement in the north-western state of Katsina. The settlement lies within the Rugu forest reserve, which covers much of the state and stretches across the border into Niger’s Maradi region. Local people would describe these men as terrorists or bandits – a reference to armed criminal groups who kidnap for ransom, killing those who resist, and engage in cattle rustling. But Abu “Abu Radde” Bello, the 32-year-old gang leader, said he rejects those terms. Abu ‘Abu Radde’ Bello, the leader of a gang in Katsina sta