More than 50 people have been kidnapped in northwest Nigeria in the latest mass abduction by armed gangs, a private conflict monitoring report created for the United Nations has revealed.
The attack took place Friday in the village of Sabon Garin Damri in Zamfara State’s Bakura district, according to the report seen by AFP. Labelled “armed bandits,” the assailants are part of a wider network of criminal gangs that have plagued Nigeria’s northwest for years.
“This is the first mass capture in Bakura this year, but it signals a worrying trend,” the report notes, citing a shift toward larger-scale abductions and village raids across northern Zamfara. Local police have not yet issued a statement on the incident.
The northwest region has become a hotspot of organised banditry—once rooted in farmer-herder tensions but now driven by kidnapping, extortion, and looting. Bandit groups levy taxes on villagers, farmers, and miners, exploiting the region’s lack of formal governance and security.
The violence has contributed to a worsening food crisis. As attacks force farmers off their land, malnutrition has surged, especially among children. Aid agencies say the situation is being exacerbated by climate change and reduced international funding.
Last month, 33 kidnap victims were killed by bandits despite a ransom payment, highlighting the brutality of these groups. The emergence of jihadist factions like Lakurawa in the region has further complicated security efforts.
