Gunmen abduct 73 in Zamfara villages amid rising insecurity

Gunmen abduct 73 in Zamfara villages amid rising insecurity

Bukkuyum, Zamfara State — At least 73 residents of Buzugu and Rayau villages in Bukkuyum Local Government Area of Zamfara State were abducted in the early hours of Friday, October 18, in yet another violent attack by suspected bandits.

According to reports by counter-insurgency publication Zagazola Makama, the assailants—armed with sophisticated weapons—stormed the two communities around 2:45 a.m., forcibly taking dozens of residents to an undisclosed location.

Local sources confirmed that security forces, in collaboration with vigilante groups, have launched a manhunt to rescue the abductees and restore calm to the affected areas.

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This latest incident adds to a growing list of violent attacks that have plagued Zamfara communities in recent months. Earlier in October, 30 residents were kidnapped in Zamfarawa village, also in Bukkuyum LGA. In a separate incident, two councillors and a local imam were abducted in the Tsauni community of Gusau LGA shortly after morning prayers.

“The councillors, representing Gidan Gona and Tsibiri wards in Maradun LGA, were taken alongside the imam in front of their homes,” a local source disclosed.

In September, at least five worshippers were killed and several others abducted when gunmen attacked a mosque in Yandoto community, Tsafe LGA.

The recurring violence has heightened fears among residents and renewed calls for urgent and sustained security interventions across the state.

Gunmen abduct 73 in Zamfara villages amid rising insecurity