A significant incident unfolded in Katsina state as kidnappers targeted guests returning from a wedding, leaving at least 35 women missing, according to officials on Monday.
The mass abduction occurred in the Sabuwa area on Thursday night, as suspected armed bandits ambushed and kidnapped the wedding attendees, stated Police spokesman Abubakar Aliyu.
The victims were returning from escorting the bride to the groom’s home in Damari village.
While Aliyu reported about 35 women missing, the state’s internal security commissioner, Nasiru Muaz, cited a higher figure, stating that more than 50 people were seized during the incident.
Muaz explained, “Officials visited the village and were told that 53 people were taken,” emphasizing the risks of traveling at night in bandit-prone areas.
Authorities are actively working to locate and rescue the captives, and Muaz urged residents to avoid nighttime travel due to security concerns.
Kidnapping for ransom is a pervasive issue in Nigeria, with criminal gangs targeting various locations, including highways, apartments, and even schools. The bands, often referred to as bandits, maintain bases concealed in forests across the northwest and central states.
Recent incidents include the abduction of five young sisters near Abuja, resulting in the death of one when a ransom deadline passed. Last week, kidnappers targeted a school bus in southwestern Ekiti state, seizing five children and their teachers.
In separate attacks, two traditional rulers were killed in Ekiti state, while another traditional monarch was shot dead, and his wife was kidnapped in Kwara state.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who assumed office last year, pledged to address insecurity in Nigeria. The nation faces challenges such as jihadist activities in the northeast, criminal militias in the northwest, and a surge in intercommunal violence in central states.
Nigerian risk consultancy SBM Intelligence reported 3,964 abductions in Nigeria since Tinubu’s inauguration in May, highlighting the gravity of the security situation.
