Kehinde Fajobi
At least 46 people, including women and children, were kidnapped during an attack on Gana town in Zamfara State on Sunday night, according to residents.
The raid, which reportedly began around 10pm, saw dozens of armed men on motorbikes shooting sporadically and setting homes and businesses ablaze.
Eyewitnesses said the attackers went door-to-door, abducting women and children who couldn’t flee into the surrounding bushes.
The attack is the latest in a series of violent incidents in Zamfara. Last month, 43 people were abducted in Kakidawa, Gidan Goga district, Maradun LGA, in a similar attack by gunmen.
Zamfara has experienced a surge in kidnapping-for-ransom activities in recent months.
While security forces have reportedly killed several terrorists in operations targeting their hideouts in Tsafe LGA, the cycle of violence continues.
In one operation last month, troops neutralised an unspecified number of terrorists, with others targeted in airstrikes as they fled with stolen cattle.
Efforts to restore security in the northern region remain ongoing, as communities continue to grapple with the threat of armed groups.