More than 40 people have been kidnapped during a series of attacks on villages in northwestern Nigeria, with local officials blaming a notorious armed bandit group for the assaults.
The attacks took place between Friday and Sunday in the Mayanchi district of Zamfara State's Maru Local Government Area, where gunmen reportedly raided 11 communities.
Resident Alhaji Lauwali Abdullahi said the attackers targeted villages including Tashar Mayanchi, Gwargawo, Jidda and Garagi, alleging that the raids were carried out by a gang led by a bandit commander known as Kachalla Sa'idu.
"As I am talking to you now, we have over 40 of our people who are in Kachalla's den," Abdullahi said.
Maru Local Government chairperson Bello Jabaka confirmed the abductions, saying authorities were seeking additional security deployments to the area.
"We are working to lodge a complaint so that we will get additional security outfits in the area," Jabaka said.
Police in Zamfara State had not commented on the incident at the time of reporting.
Kidnappings have become a major source of income for armed groups across Nigeria, including jihadist organisations operating in the northeast and heavily armed criminal gangs, commonly referred to as bandits, that dominate large parts of the northwest and central regions.
The gangs frequently carry out kidnappings for ransom, raid villages, steal livestock, extort farmers and have also been linked to illegal mining activities in areas where government security is limited.
The scale of the criminal networks has posed a growing challenge for Nigerian authorities. Earlier this month, state officials said security forces killed more than 300 suspected bandits during a two-day operation in Zamfara State.
According to Lagos-based consultancy SBM Intelligence, kidnappings generated an estimated $1.66 million in ransom payments across Nigeria between July 2024 and June 2025.
The latest abductions come just weeks after the rescue of more than 40 students and teachers who were allegedly kidnapped by jihadists in Oyo State, highlighting the country's ongoing security crisis and the persistent threat posed by armed groups.