Gunmen attacked a village in Zamfara State, northwestern Nigeria, killing a man, wounding his wife, and kidnapping 18 people, all women and children.
Residents said the attackers belonged to gangs known for kidnapping and cattle-rustling, and stormed Birnin Zarma village early in the morning as residents were preparing for dawn prayers.
"The bandits attacked the village around 5 a.m. while people were preparing for morning prayers," Birnin Zarma resident Ibrahim Bello said. "They broke into a house and shot dead a man and injured his wife before herding 18 women and children out of the village."
Lawal Umar, a resident of the neighboring town of Bukkuyum, said the attackers were believed to be from the neighboring Anka district, where they maintain camps in a nearby forest.
He added that forces stationed in Bukkuyum were unable to repel the attack due to the flooding of a river separating the town from the village of Birnin Zarma, which prevented the timely arrival of security reinforcements.
Birnin Zarma is located about 170 km from the state capital, Gusau, and residents are still waiting for a ransom demand from the kidnappers for the release of the hostages.
For years, the states of northwestern and central Nigeria, particularly Zamfara, have witnessed a wave of violence perpetrated by armed gangs known locally as "bandits," who have recently intensified their attacks on rural villages.
