Gunmen kidnap at least 52 in northwest Nigeria raid

Gunmen kidnapped at least 52 people, including children, in an overnight raid on a village and military base in northwest Nigeria's Zamfara state, local sources told AFP. The attack occurred around midnight on Saturday into Sunday in Kasuwar Daji village, Kaura Namoda local government area.

Residents reported that the attackers, arriving on motorcycles, first targeted a military base on the outskirts of the community. They seized rifles from the base and set a military patrol vehicle ablaze before proceeding to raid the village. According to residents, the gunmen went from house to house, abducting people. While initial reports suggested over 100 people were taken, the final number retained was 52.

One resident, Shehu Abdullahi, stated his 12-year-old daughter was among those kidnapped. Another resident, Ahmad Usman, reported that two of his sons' wives and two teenage girls from his family were abducted. No soldiers were reported to have been kidnapped.

Army spokesman Olaniyi Osoba confirmed that troops repelled the attack on the military base, during which the gunmen killed a soldier and a policeman. He stated that an unspecified number of residents were abducted and blamed the attack on "terrorists," a term the Nigerian government uses for various armed groups. A Zamfara police spokesman did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Kidnappings have become a significant revenue source for armed groups in Nigeria, including jihadists and criminal gangs locally known as 'bandits.' Zamfara state is particularly affected by these activities, which also include levying 'taxes' on farmers, rustling livestock, and involvement in illegal mining.