Gunmen launched a brutal attack on Kairu community in Nigeria’s northwest Zamfara state, killing at least six people.

More than 100 others, including women and children, were abducted during the violent assault, local officials and residents said on Friday.

Zamfara has become the epicentre of deadly raids by armed gangs, known locally as bandits, wreaking havoc across the region for years.

These bandits have kidnapped thousands, killed hundreds, and rendered roads and farms perilous to travel, instilling widespread fear.

The assailants stormed Kairu around 10:40 GMT on Friday, opening fire indiscriminately, according to Abubakar Isa, a resident whose wife was taken.

Hamisu Faru, a local lawmaker, confirmed the attack and the large-scale abduction, describing a house-to-house search by the attackers.

“They are searching house-to-house, abducting people as I speak,” Faru told Reuters by phone, emphasizing the ongoing danger.

Mohammed Usman, another resident, said the bandits laid siege to the town for nearly two hours before carrying off their captives.

Thousands of villagers have since fled Kairu, abandoning their homes in the shadow of the raid.

Requests for comment from Zamfara police went unanswered as the community reels from this latest act of terror.

This assault underscores the continuing crisis gripping Nigeria’s northwest, where insecurity threatens lives and disrupts daily existence.

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