Gunmen abducted at least 45 women and children in an overnight raid on five villages in Zamfara State witnesses reported, marking the second mass kidnapping in the are in just a few days
The attackers struck Sabon Garin Damri on Monday and targeted nearby villages, including Sade, Tungar Tsalle, Tungar Sodangi, and Tungar Musa Dogo. The assault lasted until dawn, said Shehu Musa, the traditional leader of Damri.
The area witnessed killings in May, this year.
The raid came just days after another mass abduction in Sabon Garin Damri, Zamfara state, on Saturday, in which 70 people were taken.
“The attackers invaded the communities and kidnapped no fewer than 45 people from the five neighboring villages, which are less than half a kilometer apart,” Musa said.
The bandits have killed hundreds and abducted thousands across northwest Nigeria in recent years. They typically hold captives for long periods, demanding ransom for their release.
Security forces confronted the assailants during Monday’s attack, killing three of them, but they were unable to prevent the bandits from fleeing with hostages and stealing cattle. Civilian casualties were reported, though the number of deaths remains unconfirmed.
“They mostly kidnapped women and children after killing some of our people,” said Hassan Dauda, a resident of Tungar Tsalle. “As I speak, some residents have begun fleeing their community in fear,”Reuters reported.
In a separate incident, Boko Haram militants attacked the remote Kennari village in Damasak, northeastern Borno state, on Monday, abducting at least 15 people and killing one, according to a security report.
A resident is quoted to have said that the attackers killed the village head and demanded a ransom of N30 million.
