Rory Peck Awards have named Yusuf Anka, a Zamfara-based conflict reporter, the winner of the Sony Impact Award for Current Affairs host.
Anka received the award with a documentary he did for the BBC Africa Eye on bandits who rob and kill people in Zamfara State, northwest Nigeria.
In his conversation with the BBC Hausa, after the award ceremony, which took place on the eve of November 17, the 28-year-old victor emphasized that the situation in Zamfara State and Nigeria at large is a global concern.
“This is a big problem that many people are concerned about and many would like to see an end to it,” Anka said.
The journalist also expressed gratitude for the achievement saying he was glad to win at the first attempt.
READ: Five Months After, Bandits Release Girls Kidnapped from Zamfara
Anka led the BBC investigative team into the forests of Zamfara State where he talked to the bandits who attack and kidnap people for ransom and cart away their livestock.
This is a problem that has afflicted many Nigerian states, especially in the northwest region; mostly Zamfara, Sokoto and Katsina States.