Bandits kidnap 130 in Zamfara state
About 130 people, including women and children were on Sunday abducted when gunmen raided four villages in Zamfara state, worsening the spate of mass abduction of villagers in the Northwestern states of the country.
State Commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Dosara, stated on Moday that over 40 people were abducted from Kanwa village and another 37 from Kwabre community all in Zurmi local government area of the state.
Another 38 people were also kidnapped while working on their farms in Yankaba and Gidan Goga communities of Maradun Local government area.
Residents narrated that the bandits divided themselves into two groups and attacked the community from different points, abducting people including underage girld between ages of 14 and 16.
“Right now Kanwa village is deserted, the bandits,” sources said.
Dosara accused the gunmen of using abductees as human shields against air raids from the military.
He said security forces have been deployed to rescue the victims.
Most of the latest batches of kidnap victims in recent time are young women and the elderly who were in farms for harvest.
In some areas of the north-west region, gangs have reportedly imposed levies on farmers as a condition of allowing them to harvest their crops unhindered.