Armed men on motorbikes stormed a village in Nigeria’s Zamfara state over the weekend, abducting more than 60 people, including women and children, according to residents and local officials.
The attackers opened fire as they entered Sabon Garin Damri village on Saturday, witnesses said, marking yet another mass abduction in a region plagued by increasing violence, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
“They came on motorcycles, shooting randomly before abducting our daughters and children,” said resident Isa Sani. “As of today, we haven’t heard anything from them. Everywhere is quiet.”
The village’s traditional leader, Shehu Musa, told Reuters by phone that “more than 60 people were taken.” He confirmed that women and children were among those kidnapped.
In a separate attack in the nearby village of Rogoji, a farmer was killed and his son abducted, Musa added.
Zamfara, located in northwestern Nigeria near the border with Niger, has become a hotspot for armed criminal gangs, locally referred to as bandits. These groups have been responsible for widespread violence, including mass kidnappings, extortion, and deadly attacks on rural communities.
Over recent years, thousands have been kidnapped across the state, with many held for weeks or even months as ransom negotiations drag on. The security crisis has severely disrupted farming and travel in the region and forced many villagers to flee their homes.
Despite government efforts and military deployments, attacks have persisted, raising concerns over the safety of rural communities and the growing reach of these armed groups.
