(In Nigeria) Armed men on motorbikes kill 11, kidnap 70 in northwest

Armed assailants riding motorbikes stormed Sabongarin Damri village in Zamfara State, northwest Nigeria, on Saturday evening, killing at least 11 people and kidnapping around 70 others, including many women and children. Eyewitness Isa Sani described how the attackers arrived shooting indiscriminately before abducting villagers’ daughters and children. Residents said there has been no communication from the kidnappers since the incident.

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Another villager, Sufiyanu Ibrahim, recounted being shot in the leg and narrowly escaping as gunfire erupted throughout the community. The traditional chief of Sabongarin Damri, Shehu Musa, confirmed that over 60 people were taken during the attack.

Zamfara has become a hotspot for violent crimes by groups referred to locally as “bandits,” who have targeted rural communities with mass kidnappings and killings. These attacks have severely disrupted farming, travel, and forced thousands of residents to abandon their homes in search of safety.

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Nigeria’s northwest continues to grapple with escalating violence from armed gangs, with Zamfara State at the epicenter of repeated deadly raids. The recent attack highlights the persistent threat posed by bandit groups, who frequently hold hostages for extended periods to demand ransom payments. The unrest has fueled displacement, food insecurity, and hindered economic activities in the region.

On Monday, Lanre Issa-Onilu, head of Nigeria’s National Orientation Agency, revealed that police had arrested 2,109 suspects and rescued 175 kidnap victims from April to July in northwest and central Nigeria. However, he did not provide previous data for comparison, leaving the trend of insecurity unclear.

Despite government crackdowns, residents say attacks have continued unabated, with authorities often struggling to prevent or respond to raids in remote areas. Police in Zamfara have not yet commented on Saturday’s massacre and mass abduction, underscoring the ongoing challenges in securing rural communities.