At least two people were killed and more than 100 others, mostly women and children, abducted in a violent raid on Gamdum Mallam village in Zamfara State, northwest Nigeria, community leaders and local authorities confirmed on Wednesday, August 27.
Witnesses said the attackers, riding motorbikes, stormed the community around midday on Saturday, firing indiscriminately before herding captives into the Makakari forest. Local residents reported that the assailants divided into groups—one seizing villagers and livestock, while another blocked main roads, shooting at those who attempted to flee.
The attack was confirmed by local lawmaker Hamisu Faru, who noted that the armed group also raided nearby Nasarawa Burkullum and Ruwan Rana villages, abducting dozens more under heavy rain. Zamfara has long suffered from persistent raids by heavily armed gangs known locally as bandits, who have made farming and travel perilous. Between July 2024 and June 2025 alone, nearly 5,000 people were abducted in the region. Residents now fear further assaults as the gunmen are reportedly regrouping near forest boundaries.