Armed attackers killed a local security volunteer and 10 of his relatives, burned their bodies and abducted 13 people during a weekend assault on a village in Nigeria’s northwestern Zamfara state, police said on Monday.
The attack took place in Gidan Taba, in the Maradun district, where gunmen reportedly targeted a member of a government-backed vigilante group who had repeatedly helped security forces repel attacks by criminal gangs.
Zamfara police spokesperson Yazid Abubakar said the volunteer had become a target because of his involvement in defending the community against armed groups operating in the region.
“They considered him an obstacle to their activities,” Abubakar said.
According to police, the assailants killed the volunteer before murdering 10 members of his family, burning their bodies and setting their home ablaze.
The attackers also kidnapped 13 other people, whose whereabouts remained unknown as of Monday.
Security personnel have since been deployed to the area, with authorities launching operations aimed at restoring security and securing the release of those abducted.
Armed gangs intensify attacks in northwest Nigeria
Northwestern Nigeria has endured years of violence involving heavily armed criminal gangs, locally known as bandits, who routinely raid communities, kill residents, loot property and abduct civilians for ransom.
The worsening security situation has prompted several states to establish or support local volunteer groups that assist overstretched security forces in protecting rural settlements.
These community defence groups frequently operate in areas where government security personnel have a limited presence, leaving their members and families vulnerable to retaliatory attacks.
Nigeria’s security forces are simultaneously confronting armed criminal networks in the northwest and Islamist insurgent groups in other parts of the country, placing additional pressure on the country’s military and police resources.
The latest killings highlight the risks faced by civilians who cooperate with security forces in regions struggling with persistent armed violence.
