Bandits kidnap over 80 in Niger, Zamfara attacks

No fewer than 80 people, mostly women, have been reported missing following separate bandit attacks on communities in Niger and Zamfara states.

The attacks, which occurred over the weekend, targeted farmers and residents in rural communities already grappling with persistent insecurity.

According to security reports, no fewer than 47 farmers were abducted on Saturday while harvesting groundnuts in Rimi community, Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State.

Most of the victims were said to be women.

A local source confirmed that heavily armed bandits stormed the farmlands and whisked the farmers away to an unknown destination.

In a separate incident on Sunday, about 40 women were reportedly kidnapped from Yargada community in Gusau Local Government Area of Zamfara State, according to another security report.

Residents said the attackers also launched coordinated assaults on nearby communities, setting houses ablaze and forcing many villagers to flee.

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A resident of Magama Mairake, Adamu Lawwali, said the bandits continued burning homes in his community long after the attack began.

“The bandits have been burning houses since yesterday and the situation remains tense,” Lawwali told AFP on Monday, adding that the full casualty figure could only be determined after displaced residents returned to assess the damage.

Another resident, Umar Abdullahi, said the attack was believed to be a reprisal after local vigilantes allegedly killed several bandits during recent operations.

Abdullahi added that the actual number of abducted persons could be higher than the figures currently reported.

Security agencies were yet to issue an official statement on the latest incidents as of the time of filing this report.