Bandits abduct ’60 persons’ — mostly children — in Zamfara, Katsina communities

Bandits have reportedly abducted 60 persons in Zamfara and Katsina states.

The abductees who are said to be mostly children are from Kucheri, Wanzamai, and Danwuro communities in Tsafe LGA of Zamfara state, and Yankara town in Faskari LGA of Katsina state.

Faskari LGA in Katsina and Tsafe LGA in Zamfara are border towns.

The abductions were said to have taken place on Friday morning when the bandits were moving from Sububu forest in Zamfara to a forest in Birnin Gwari LGA of Kaduna state.

Ahmad Kucheri, a resident of Tsafe LGA in Zamfara state, said the bandits have suffered casualties from the military and were fleeing from the state, adding that the bandits began abducting people they sighted on their way out of the state.

He said the majority of the victims were abducted from their farms, while some were children who went to fetch firewood in the bush.

“The bandits were moving from Sububu Forest to Birnin-Gwari side. So, they see people in the bush fetching firewood, they picked them, some children that are picking local fertilizers, some that are doing mining work, they gathered all of them and moved them to Birnin-Gwari side to Niger State,” Channels Television quoted Kucheri as saying.

“They did not shoot or kill anybody, they just gathered people and not only children but anybody they see along their way.”

When contacted to comment on the incident, Mohammed Shehu, spokesperson of the Zamfara police command, was not immediately available to respond to calls or messages.