The gunmen in Nigeria have abducted a minimum of 87 individuals in a recent assault, as reported by residents and police. This incident follows the earlier kidnapping of over 280 students and staff from a school earlier this month.
According to officials, the attack occurred in the Kajuru area of Kaduna state, with the victims including women and children.
Bandits frequently raid villages and conduct large-scale kidnappings for ransom in northwest and north-central Nigeria, contributing to the displacement of approximately one million people, according to the United Nations.
Despite ongoing attacks nearly every day, authorities have appeared incapable of halting the violence, intensifying pressure on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Kaduna police spokesperson Mansur Hassan stated that the Kajuru incident occurred on Sunday night, with security personnel deployed to rescue the villagers.
Local official Ibrahim Gajere informed Agence France-Presse that the assailants forcibly removed people from their homes at gunpoint.
Residents reported that the armed men, dressed in army uniforms, went unnoticed as they parked their motorcycles away from the village.
Village head Tanko Wada Sarkin disclosed that 87 people were abducted, with five individuals managing to return home after fleeing through the bush.
Aruwa Ya’u, a resident, recounted being captured but released due to his poor health, currently receiving treatment at a local government clinic.
Haruna Atiku described the sudden appearance of bandits who beat and shot at residents, resulting in the disappearance of his wife and two daughters.
On Saturday, 16 individuals were abducted in the Dogon Noma area, approximately 10km (6 miles) away from the recent incident.
The kidnapping spree on March 7 saw over 250 students abducted from a school in Kuriga village, located about 150km (93 miles) from Kajuru, marking one of the largest attacks in recent years.
While Boko Haram initially pioneered school kidnappings, criminal gangs, driven by ransom demands rather than ideology, have since adopted the tactic.
Negotiations typically lead to the release of kidnapping victims in Nigeria, despite a 2022 law prohibiting ransom payments to kidnappers, which officials deny making.
The relentless wave of kidnappings has devastated families and communities, forcing them to exhaust savings and sell cherished assets like land, livestock, and crops to secure the freedom of their loved ones.
Since assuming office in May, the Nigerian risk consultancy SBM Intelligence has documented 4,777 abductions.
