Residents reported that at least nine individuals were abducted in an attack by gunmen in Nigeria’s northwest Zamfara state on Friday.
Kidnappings for ransom by armed gangs are rampant in northwest Nigeria, driven by factors such as widespread poverty, unemployment, and the proliferation of illegal firearms.
According to residents in the Tsohuwar Kasuwa community of Kaura Namoda local government area in the state, the gunmen conducted an early morning raid on motorcycles, targeting their village.
“They abducted my two children and they were taken to an unknown destination.” Rabe Sarkawa, a resident of the community, told media by phone. “I am in pain right now.”
Among those kidnapped were five members of resident Alhaji Sabitu’s household, and his herd of cattle was also seized.
“Apart from unrest from the abductions for ransom, and the loss of innocent lives, we’re also not allowed to carry out our daily livelihood in peace,” Sabitu said.
The attacks in the northwest are part of a broader pattern of insecurity in Nigeria, which includes a 14-year-long Islamist insurgency in the northeast, as well as gang and separatist violence in the southeast.
Deadly clashes also frequently occur between farmers and herders.
Police reported that on Wednesday, armed individuals abducted five female students from a university in the adjacent Katsina state.
President Bola Tinubu has not yet outlined a comprehensive plan to tackle the prevailing security challenges.
Labor unions have voiced their criticism of President Tinubu’s economic reforms, which encompass the removal of a costly fuel subsidy and the liberalization of the naira currency. They argue that these measures have led to an increase in the cost of living.
