Armed Groups Kidnap More Than 60 People In Nigeria

Illustration of the Nigerian security forces. (Wikimedia Commons/Petty Officer 2nd Class Cameron Edy)

JAKARTA - A gang armed with motorbikes attacked a village northwest of Nigeria, kidnapping more than 60 people including women and children, according to eyewitnesses.

The men opened fire when they stormed Damri Sabon Garin in Zamfara State on Saturday, local resident Isa Sani said.

"They came on motorbikes, shooting randomly before kidnapping our daughters and children. To this day, we haven't heard anything from them. It's everywhere quiet," he told Reuters.

Groups known locally as "bandits" have killed hundreds of people and seized thousands across states in recent years.

Not only that, the groups often detained those kidnapped for months, demanding ransom for their release.

"More than 60 people were taken, including women and children," Shehu Musa, the village's traditional head, told Reuters by telephone on Monday.

The attackers also killed a farmer and kidnapped his son in a nearby village of Rogoji, Musa added.

It is known that Zamfara, which borders Niger, became the center of violent attacks that had disrupted agriculture and travel, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes.

Separately, Zamfara Police did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.