Gunmen kidnap at least 50 in Nigeria's Zamfara state, residents and police say
A gang of gunmen kidnapped over 50 women and children during a raid on Kakin Dawa village in Nigeria's northwest Zamfara state, according to police and local residents. The kidnapping, which occurred on Sunday, is part of a broader wave of abductions for ransom by armed groups, known locally as "bandits," driven by poverty, unemployment, and the widespread availability of illegal firearms in the region.
- Africa
- Reuters
- Published Date: 01:10 | 10 December 2024
- Modified Date: 01:10 | 10 December 2024
A gang of gunmen kidnapped more than 50 women and children in a raid on Kakin Dawa village in Nigeria's northwest Zamfara state, police and residents said.
Kidnapping for ransom by gunmen, known by locals as bandits, is rife in northwest Nigeria due to high levels of poverty, unemployment and the proliferation of illegal firearms.
Zamfara police said the incident took place on Sunday and that additional security forces were being deployed to the area.