[News] Bandits kidnap village head and eleven others in Zamfara and Borno

At least 12 people have been kidnapped by bandits in two separate incidents in Zamfara and Borno States.

In the first incident, the bandits kidnapped four people including the village head of Kwali in Bukkuyum Local Government Area of Zamfara state, Danjimma Hakimi, on Saturday, August 26, 2023.

A local official, Muhammad Bukuyum, who confirmed the incident, said the other victims were three local farmers, and that the bandits had demanded a ransom.

In a separate incident, Boko Haram militants abducted eight farmers on Saturday in Maiwa village, about three kilometres from Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.

Mohammed Jida, who managed to flee from the attackers, told Reuter he sighted the insurgents surrounding the farmers as they worked on their farm.

“As I sighted them, I started running with others, scampering for safety. Luckily, I managed to escape but the rest of my colleagues were caught by Boko Haram.”

Greema Abubar and Bukar Kachallah, who are relatives of some of the victims, confirmed the attack, adding that the insurgents had demanded a ransom, without giving further details.