Gunmen abducted at least 46 people, including women and children, in a raid on Gana town in Nigeria’s northwest Zamfara state, according to local residents and a community leader on Tuesday.
The attack took place on Sunday around 2200 GMT, when a large group of gunmen arrived on motorbikes, opening fire on the town and setting fire to multiple homes and businesses, residents reported. The raid follows a similar mass kidnapping in the state last month.
Zamfara state police spokesperson Yazid Abubakar was unavailable for comment, with attempts to reach him by phone and text proving unsuccessful.
The northwest region of Nigeria has long been plagued by armed gangs, locally referred to as “bandits,” who regularly terrorize communities with violence and abductions for ransom, targeting residents, farmers, students, and motorists.
Alhaji Garba Haure, a local leader from Gana, reported that security forces intervened to prevent the attackers from completely destroying the town. He confirmed that there were no fatalities, but that 46 individuals, including men, women, and children, had been abducted. The toll may rise as the situation develops, Haure added.
Resident Bala Harauma stated that the number of kidnapped individuals might be higher, as six people managed to escape while the bandits were moving the captives early Monday morning.
Another local, Yusuf Mohammed, reported that the gunmen also set fire to several homes and food storage silos during the raid.
In a similar case last month, victims of a previous kidnapping in Zamfara were released after a ransom was paid, residents confirmed.