ZAMFARA, Nigeria – Terrorists – locally dubbed as bandits in Nigeria have reportedly kidnapped dozens of villagers, including women, children, and the elderly in the northwestern state of Zamfara.
The terrorists reportedly raided communities in the Wanke area, near the state capital Gusau, and whisked at least 100 people away. Among the abductees was a community’s Chief Imam, who was previously released from kidnappers’ den and was receiving treatment for a leg injury, according to local reports.
As of press time, state authorities and the police have not issued a statement on the incident.
A survivor spoke to the BBC Hausa Service in an interview monitored on Wednesday, recounting how the affected communities were in turmoil, with residents fleeing out of fear of further attacks.
The source said: “Near Sabon Layi, over 50 people were taken, and near Dogon Hayi, about 50 more were abducted”
He noted that the exact number was still uncertain due to the chaos and panic that ensued as locals scrambled for safety.
“The terrorists chased people as if they were hunting animals,” he said. “They pursued people on motorbikes, tracked women inside their homes, and abducted them. Some were intercepted while attempting to flee and were herded into the bush.”
The source said that the assailants targeted multiple communities, including Gira, Ruwa Kusa, Dogon Hayi, and Gidan Kado, where they stole motorcycles, farm produce, and personal items like smartphones. They also looted shops for provisions.
It was gathered that community members alerted officials in Wanke, but there has been no official response yet.
The survivor noted that these attacks have plagued their communities for nearly nine years, driving many residents to seek refuge in Gusau and other areas.
“There are no animals here anymore,” he lamented. “Once night falls, everyone is filled with dread, as staying in these communities overnight has become extremely dangerous.”
Police could not be reached for comment.
Insecurity and violence in Nigeria
For more than a decade, civilians in Nigeria have faced multiple security threats and risk of atrocities as result of attacks, kidnappings and extortion by various non-state armed groups.
Since the start of 2024 civilians have faced intensified violence across Nigeria, and near-daily attacks by armed groups resulting in kidnappings and other abuses against civilians.
Armed groups and gangs, including so-called “bandits,” have – for many years – perpetrated widespread atrocities, including murder, rape, kidnapping, organized cattle-rustling and plunder. Armed herdsmen are also destroying vast swaths of farmland, prompting many farmers to abandon their land out of fear of attack.
In August, the Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said insecurity in Nigeria is weaponised by politicians for political and selfish reasons.
A Nigerian soldier, Suleiman S., also alleged that the government’s practice of paying ransoms to terrorists – dubbed as bandits in the country was hindering the military’s ability to effectively combat them.
He urged the public to redirect their blame from the Nigerian Army to the government, emphasising that soldiers are constrained by orders and cannot take independent action.
The soldier said the military has the capability to eradicate bandits, particularly in hotspots like Zamfara State forest within a week if given the necessary orders.
He expressed frustration that the military’s potential is being wasted due to a lack of direction from leadership, whom he accused of profiting from the ongoing crisis.
Nigerian authorities are not going to arrest Boko Haram terrorists, bandits, and other criminals because they were created for political purposes, human rights activist Omoyele Sowore had alleged in September.
Speaking when he appeared on Voice of The People FM, Sowore alleged that government officials have links with the criminals, using them to gain power and later protecting them.