Armed men kidnap women and children in northwestern Nigeria

Dozens of women and children have been abducted in Zamfara State, northwestern Nigeria, in the latest wave of kidnappings gripping the region. Armed men carrying assault rifles stormed the village of Kafin Dawa on Sunday, reportedly going door-to-door to seize victims.

Local resident Hassan Ya’u, who managed to escape, said over 50 women, including married women and girls, were taken. "The entire village was gripped by fear as gunshots echoed throughout the operation," another resident told Daily Trust, which reported 43 people kidnapped.

In response, Zamfara police have deployed additional security forces to the area.

Northwest Nigeria has become a hotspot for kidnappings carried out by armed groups, known locally as bandits, fueled by poverty, unemployment, and the spread of illegal firearms. Kidnapping for ransom has surged in recent years, with schools and villages frequently targeted.

This latest incident echoes previous abductions, including the mass kidnapping of 130 students in Kuriga earlier this year and the 2014 Boko Haram raid in Chibok that took 276 schoolgirls, some of whom remain missing. Since 2014, at least 1,400 children have been abducted in similar attacks.

Efforts to curb these crimes have faced significant challenges, leaving communities in fear and insecurity.