No fewer than 150 residents have been abducted by suspected bandits in coordinated attacks on communities in Zamfara State, deepening concerns over worsening insecurity in the North-West.
The victims were reportedly kidnapped during late-night raids on Kurfa Ɗanya and Kurfan Magaji villages in Bukkuyum Local Government Area.
The lawmaker representing Gumi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Suleiman Abubakar, confirmed the incident, saying the attackers stormed the communities around midnight on Thursday, catching residents off guard.
According to him, the assailants carried out a coordinated operation, abducting scores of villagers while they were asleep.
Residents said that the attackers extended their অভিযান to neighbouring settlements, triggering panic and forcing many inhabitants to flee their homes in search of safety.
Survivors were said to have taken refuge at the Bukkuyum Local Government Council headquarters amid fears of further attacks.
Abubakar described the situation as dire, urging the Federal Government to urgently scale up security operations in the area.
He lamented that attention appeared to have shifted to the North-East, particularly Borno State, due to renewed insurgent activities, leaving communities in Zamfara increasingly vulnerable.
“We are facing a similar crisis here. Zamfara deserves the same level of attention being given elsewhere,” he said.
The latest attack underscores the persistent wave of banditry ravaging parts of Zamfara, where armed groups have continued to target rural communities for mass abductions and ransom payments.
Findings indicate that such attacks are often financially motivated, with victims subjected to harsh conditions, including forced labour or death where ransom demands are unmet.
Security analysts have attributed the recurring violence in Bukkuyum and neighbouring Gumi to the vast forest reserves surrounding the area, which provide cover for criminal groups and hinder military operations.
Despite repeated offensives by security forces, including Operation Hadarin Daji, and intermittent dialogue efforts by authorities, the cycle of attacks has persisted, leaving residents in constant fear.
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