Armed bandits kidnapped at least 100 people after invading some villages in Katsina State and the Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State. 

A member of a local vigilante group in Katsina told Peoples Gazette that the heavily armed bandits stormed the community in military fatigues. 

Residents of Zamfara, where the bandits attacked Mutunji, Unguwar Kawo, Kwantar Dutsi, and Sabon Garin Muhata on Friday evening, said the armed men arrived on motorcycles and took people away because the communities did not pay “taxes” demanded by the gunmen. 

Locals identified the leader of the gunmen as “Damina”, saying he controls the region, especially in the absence of state security forces. The bandits attacked Mutunji after the village failed to pay the N50 million Damina demanded. 

One of the kidnap victims residing in Mutunji village and had escaped from the attackers, told BBC, “We are trying to collect the money… but suddenly the bandits came in and robbed people. They took over 100 people – most of them women and young people.” 

“He had also imposed such levy on the other communities. Kwana residents were asked to pay N30 million, people of Sabon Garin Mahuta were asked to gather N20 million, while residents of Unguwar Kawo were asked to pay N10 million,” he added. 

A villager expressed frustration, saying, “The terrorists are in control of the area – they send us to the forest to work as agricultural labourers, and when we come back, they come into the town to eat meat, tea, and bottled goods without paying.”

When contacted, the spokesperson for the Zamfara State Police Command, ASP Yazid Abubakar, said he could not offer any updates on the situation as it happened in a designated military zone, while that of Katsina, ASP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, was unreachable at the time of this report.

However, all efforts to reach the Nigerian Army spokesman, Onyema Nwachukwu, via telephone were unsuccessful.

Kidnapping for ransom has been increasing in North-West Nigeria, with armed groups, called bandits, targeting villages, schools, and travellers and asking for large sums of money. 

Nigeria is facing various security challenges, including a jihadist insurgency in the North, conflicts between herders and farmers, a separatist rebellion in the South-East, and demands for a more significant share of oil profits in the Niger Delta. 

Despite these challenges, President Bola Tinubu, who assumed office in May, has yet to provide a detailed plan for addressing the insecurity. 

During his election campaign, Mr Tinubu’s office acknowledged the situation’s complexity, highlighting the experience of his Vice President Kashim Shettima, who served as governor of Borno State, home to many Islamist militant groups and the Boko Haram insurgency.