Over 40 people, primarily women and children, were abducted by bandits in Gana village, Shikafi Local Government Area of Zamfara State, according to the Daily Trust.
The incident occurred last Sunday at around 11:00 pm while villagers were asleep. This attack follows previous assaults on the village, confirmed by a government official who wished to remain anonymous.
A local resident, who identified himself only as Kabiru (not his real name), described the attack: “Bandits stormed the village on motorcycles, each carrying three armed men. They systematically searched houses, forcibly removing the occupants.”
He further explained: “But you know in this kind of situation, usually the men used to run into the bushes. So, most of the people that fell victims of the unfortunate incidence were women, children and aged persons. They took them into the bush. The bandits also carted away food items and other domestic valuables during the operation.”
Auwal Isa, another resident, stated that two days after the attack, the bandits had not contacted the families of the kidnapped individuals.
“We are still expecting their calls because sometimes it takes days or weeks before they can contact families of their victims for negotiation about ransom,” Isa said. “Sometimes, the bandits are taking the kidnapped people to mining sites to do some work for them for Salome days before contacting their families. They can call any time they so wish.”
