Armed men attacked the village of Kakin Dawa in Nigeria’s northwest Zamfara state, abducting more than 50 women and children, according to local police and residents.
The raid occurred Sunday afternoon, with attackers wielding assault rifles and moving door to door to seize their victims, witnesses said.
Hassan Ya’u, a survivor whose younger sister was among those taken, recounted the harrowing incident: “Later we found out that they kidnapped more than 50 women, including married women and girls. We are appealing to the federal and Zamfara state governments to send more soldiers and security personnel to fight these bandits.”
Zamfara police confirmed the attack and stated that additional security forces were being deployed to the area to address the situation.
The abduction highlights the ongoing security crisis in northwest Nigeria, where armed groups, often referred to as bandits, carry out kidnappings for ransom. High levels of poverty, unemployment, and the availability of illegal firearms have fueled the violence in the region.
Insecurity persists across Nigeria, with the northwest grappling with banditry, the northeast enduring a 15-year Islamist insurgency, and the southeast facing gang and separatist violence.
