Zamfara State

Zamfara State is a state in north-western Nigeria, created in 1996 from part of Sokoto State, with its capital at Gusau. It takes its name from the Hausa kingdom of Zamfara, which flourished before the Fulani jihad of the early 19th century. In 2000 it became the first Nigerian state to adopt Islamic sharia law in criminal matters, and in recent years it has suffered from banditry and kidnappings.