Terrorists, locally known as bandits, have abducted at least 73 locals from Buzugu and Rayau villages in the Bukkuyum Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
Makama Zagazola, a counterinsurgency publication, disclosed this in a security alert posted on X Monday evening.
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It said the terrorists launched midnight attacks on the villages on 18 October, kidnapping the unsuspecting villagers.
“Zagazola learnt that the incident occurred at about 2:45 a.m. on Oct. 18, when armed bandits in large numbers, wielding sophisticated weapons, invaded the two villages and whisked away the victims to an unknown destination,” the publication posted.
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“Sources said efforts were ongoing to ensure the safe rescue of all abducted persons and to restore normalcy in the affected communities,” it added.
However, Yazid Abubakar, the police spokesperson in Zamfara, said he was out of the state.
“I will confirm with the divisional police officer (DPO) and get back to you,” he said.
Recent attacks in Zamfara
Zamfara has become an epicentre of violence where local farmers and travellers are targeted. The state has witnessed many underreported killings and abductions.
Earlier this month, the terrorists, during a daytime attack, kidnapped 30 people from a village in the Zugu district of the Bukkuyum LGA.
A few days before that attack, the terrorists also kidnapped two councillors and an imam from a village in Gusau LGA.
Last month, terrorists killed about five worshippers in a mosque in Yandoto village, Tsafe LGA. They also kidnapped an unspecified number of people.
In August, at least two people were killed and 100 others, including women and children, abducted in an attack on the Gamdum Mallam in Adafka, Bukkuyum LGA.
Kidnap for ransom economy
A report by SBM Intelligence showed that 4,722 people were kidnapped across Nigeria between July 2024 and June 2025, with N2.57 billion paid in ransoms.
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The North-west region was spotlighted as the epicentre of the crime, with Zamfara having the highest cases of kidnapping. A total of 1,203 were kidnapped in the state, followed by Kaduna and Katsina.
SBM Intelligence warned that the kidnap industry’s profitability—fueled by weak law enforcement, economic hardship and community-level extortion dynamics—will persist without targeted disruption of networks and financing flows.
