11 people were killed and 60 people, including women and children, have been kidnapped by armed men on motorcycles in a village in a region that has seen a surge of mass abductions.
According to an eyewitness, who is a resident named Isa Sani, the men opened fire as they rode into Sabon Garin Damri in Zamfara state on Saturday.
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“They came on motorcycles, shooting randomly before abducting our daughters and children. As of today, we haven’t heard anything from them. Everywhere is quiet,” he said.
Groups known locally as “bandits” have killed hundreds of people and seized thousands across the state in recent years. They often hold captives for months and demand ransoms for their release.
Shehu Musa, the traditional chief of the village, told Reuters, “More than 60 people were taken, including women and children.”
The assailants also killed a farmer and abducted his son in the nearby village of Rogoji, Musa added.
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Zamfara, which borders Niger, has become the epicentre of the violent attacks that have disrupted farming and travel and forced thousands to flee their homes.
Zamfara police did not immediately respond to requests for comments.
