Armed bandits have abducted more than 50 people in fresh attacks across Zamfara state, plunging rural communities into fear and uncertainty.
At dawn on Monday, gunmen stormed a mosque in Gidan Turbe, Tsafe LGA, and kidnapped about 40 worshippers during morning prayers.
According to counter-insurgency platform Zagazola Makama, the attackers surrounded the building around 5:30 a.m. and forced worshippers into the nearby Gohori forest at gunpoint.
The incident came barely a day after reports of a “peace deal” involving community leaders and armed groups in Katsina and neighbouring states. A source told Makama that the attack reflects the lack of unified command among bandits, stressing that while talks occur in some regions, violent raids persist in Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Kaduna.
In a separate raid on Sunday, 12 people were seized from Godai village in Bukkuyum LGA. The assailants reportedly fired shots to disperse residents before leading the captives towards Gyado forest.
The Zamfara police command confirmed receiving a distress call from Bukkuyum and said security personnel had been deployed to the affected area.
These latest abductions underscore the fragile security situation in the northwest, where armed groups continue to terrorise villages despite ongoing peace initiatives.
