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Armed gangs locally known as “bandits” killed seven people and kidnapped approximately 150 others during coordinated raids on six remote villages in northern Nigeria’s Zamfara State.
Residents confirmed to journalists on Saturday that the heavily armed attackers invaded the Bukkuyum local government area on motorcycles, shooting indiscriminately and looting homes before setting them ablaze.
The police have confirmed a “mass” abduction occurred, though they are still awaiting a detailed report to verify the exact number of captives.
The violence, which began late Thursday and continued into Friday, saw the bandits target multiple communities, including Kurfa Danya and Kuryar Madi.
Beyond the human toll, the attackers reportedly made off with a significant amount of livestock.
Zamfara lawmaker Sulaiman Abubakar Gumi criticised the central government’s security priorities, suggesting that while the military focuses on terrorist movements in the northeast, criminal banditry has been allowed to flourish in the northwest.
This latest incident underscores the persistent insecurity in Zamfara, where resource-based conflicts between herders and farmers have evolved into sophisticated kidnapping-for-ransom syndicates.
Despite a decade of military intervention and various government-brokered amnesty deals, the cycle of violence continues.
Authorities are currently facing difficulties in communication with the affected areas, leaving families in a state of uncertainty as they wait for news of their missing relatives.
