Gunmen have abducted 50 women and children during a raid on Kakin Dawa, a village in the Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

The Zamfara State Police Command confirmed the incident on Tuesday, December 10, saying the victims were kidnapped by gunmen on Sunday, December 8, 2024.

The police added that security operatives have been deployed to the area.

One of the villagers, Hassan Ya’u, who escaped the attack but whose younger sister was abducted, disclosed that the gunmen riding on motorcycles arrived in the village at about 1:30 a.m. and kidnapped residents from different houses.

Ya’u said: “Later we found out that they kidnapped more than 50 women, including married women and girls.

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“We are appealing to the federal and Zamfara state governments to send more soldiers and security personnel to fight those bandits.”

Another resident of the village, Abdulkadir Sadia, said: “The entire community is in distress.

“We are currently waiting to hear the kidnappers’ demands for the release of the abducted individuals.”

Kidnapping for ransom by gunmen, known by locals as bandits, is rife in the northwest region of the country due to high levels of poverty, unemployment, and the proliferation of illegal firearms.

The Star