The protesters, mostly women in hijabs, were seen blocking an Armoured Personnel Carrier, APC, belonging to the military, preventing the troops from leaving the town.
According to the residents, withdrawing the troops at this critical time will expose Bindin and neighbouring communities like Gobirawar Chali to more attacks by bandits.
The protest followed a deadly attack on Monday by bandits said to be loyal to notorious kingpin, Kachalla Gwaska Dankarami, who stormed Bindin and Gobirawar Chali communities. At least nine security personnel and an unspecified number of civilians were reportedly killed during the attack.
A conflict reporter, Bakatsine, who shared photos from the protest on social media, said the residents are afraid that leaving the area without adequate security will worsen the situation.
“Residents of Bindin in Maru LGA of Zamfara State, have taken to the streets to protest the reported plan to withdraw security personnel from the area after nine security officers were killed in the community days ago. They say pulling out the personnel could leave Bindin and nearby communities even more vulnerable to attacks. They are calling for the security presence to remain,” Bakatsine wrote.
In another video shared on X by an Open-Source Intelligence analyst, Usman, on Wednesday evening, soldiers were seen trying to calm a large crowd of women who had surrounded their convoy.
“Thousands of women in hijabs have blocked an army convoy from leaving Bingi town in Bungudu LGA of Zamfara State. Locals are saying the army has been ordered to pull out of the town. The town's survival in this area depends on the presence of the army. This is Arewa in 2026,” Usman captioned the video.
The protest has again highlighted the deteriorating security situation in Zamfara State, where bandit groups have continued to attack rural communities despite ongoing military operations.
The residents insisted that the continued presence of the military is the only thing keeping them safe, and appealed to the Federal Government and the Defence Headquarters not to abandon them.
As at the time of filing this report, efforts to get reactions from the Defence Headquarters were unsuccessful, as the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, did not pick his calls. Similarly, the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Lt. Col. Anele Appolonia, was not reachable for comment.
The development underscores the desperation of communities in the North West, where many villagers now depend entirely on military presence for survival amid persistent bandit attacks.
