Armed Attack in Zamfara Leaves 52 Abducted, Including Children

At least 52 individuals—including children—were abducted in an armed assault that took place over the weekend in Zamfara State, located in northwestern Nigeria, local sources told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Monday.

The abduction incident

Shehu Abdullahi, a resident of Katswar Daji village, confirmed his 12-year-old daughter was among those taken. He stated that militants initially seized more than 100 people before releasing some, leaving 52 still in captivity.

A second local source corroborated the figure of 52 abductees. The Nigerian Armed Forces, for its part, described the number of villagers abducted as “undisclosed.”

Security response and prior attacks

Nigerian authorities had earlier launched a security operation targeting armed gangs responsible for abductions in two villages in Zamfara State. Those raids occurred recently in the region.

A local official reported that armed assailants stormed the villages of Kurfa Danya and Kurfan Majagi in the Bukkuyum area last Thursday. They opened fire on vehicles and homes before overrunning both settlements.

Pattern of violence in northwestern Nigeria

Northwestern Nigeria has experienced sustained violence carried out by armed criminal groups for several years. This includes mass kidnappings for ransom and repeated raids on rural communities.