Gunmen have killed 30 people and abducted several others in an attack on Dutsin Dan Ajiya village in Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The assailants stormed the village around midnight on Thursday and continued the assault into the early hours of Friday.
Residents reported that the gunmen, who arrived on motorcycles, sealed off the village entrance and opened fire indiscriminately before carrying out the abductions.
“After blocking all the roads, the bandits started to shoot at sight, and the villagers ran helter-skelter. After the attack, we realised that 30 people were killed, some were wounded, while several others are at large and nobody knows their whereabouts,” a resident recounts.
Governor Dauda Lawal has directed his deputy, Mani Mumuni, to visit the affected community. The visit aims to sympathise with residents and convey the governor’s condolences to the victims’ families.
Police have yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
Zamfara remains one of several north-western states grappling with persistent banditry, often driven by struggles over resources. Other affected states include Kebbi State, Kaduna State, Sokoto State and Katsina State.
On 18 February, gunmen killed dozens of people and razed seven villages during raids in Kebbi State.
The Zamfara attack occurred less than 48 hours after the state government unveiled newly acquired security equipment and surveillance drones to strengthen efforts against insecurity. Governor Lawal launched the equipment alongside Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa.
In Kebbi, members of the Lakurawa group attacked villages in the Bui district of the Arewa region at about 1:15 pm on Wednesday, according to police spokesman Bashir Usman.
Usman said, “Scores of people were killed as residents from Mamunu, Awasaka, Tungan Tsoho, Makangara, Kanzo, Gorun Naidal, and Dan Mai Ago mobilised to resist the attackers.”
A resident of Kanzo reported that at least 35 people had died.
“We were in our homes, we heard gunshots,” said the resident.
“People outside began to run into their shelters, gunshots hit some people,” he added.
Usman confirmed that the attackers also rustled cattle during the raids and stated that police officers, soldiers and local vigilantes had been deployed to the area.
Nigeria continues to confront a prolonged jihadist insurgency in the north-east and a farmer–herder conflict in the north-central region. The country is also seeking technical and training assistance from the United States to support its troops amid a resurgence of violence.
The US Africa Command has indicated that about 200 personnel are expected to participate in the broader deployment.