Zamfara State: At least 50 people have been killed and several women and children abducted after armed attackers raided a village in Nigeria’s northwestern Zamfara State, deepening fears over worsening insecurity in the region.
The overnight attack took place in Tungan Dutse village in the Bukkuyum area. Residents said gunmen arrived on motorcycles late Thursday and opened fire on people trying to flee. Homes and other buildings were set ablaze as the attackers moved through the settlement.
Community leaders reported that the assailants went from one area to another, causing widespread destruction and panic. Many villagers remain missing, and the exact number of abducted women and children is still unknown.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, Zamfara and other northwestern states have been plagued for years by heavily armed criminal gangs commonly referred to as bandits. These groups carry out raids, mass kidnappings and cattle rustling, often using forest hideouts as bases.
Kidnapping for ransom has become a major source of income for the armed groups, while rural communities remain vulnerable due to limited security presence and difficult terrain.
Authorities are expected to deploy security forces to the affected area as efforts continue to locate the abducted victims and restore calm. Nigeria’s military has been conducting operations against bandit camps across the northwest, but attacks on remote communities continue.
The latest violence highlights the ongoing security crisis in northern Nigeria, where repeated village raids, abductions and killings have displaced thousands and left communities living in fear.