Lakurawa terrorists killed 30 people and abducted several others following a midnight attack on Dutsin Dan Ajiya village in Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
According to a report by Channels Television, the gunmen stormed the community around midnight on Thursday and operated until the early hours of Friday.
Residents said the attackers, who arrived on motorcycles, blocked major entry and exit routes into the village before opening fire indiscriminately and carrying out abductions.
“After blocking all the roads, the bandits started shooting on sight, and villagers ran in different directions. After the attack, we realised that 30 people were killed, some were wounded, while several others are missing and their whereabouts remain unknown,” a resident said.
The attack occurred less than 48 hours after the Zamfara State Government unveiled newly acquired security hardware and surveillance drones aimed at strengthening the fight against insecurity.
Governor Dauda Lawal had presented the equipment alongside Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa.
Meanwhile, Governor Lawal has directed the Deputy Governor, Mani Mumuni, to visit the affected community to sympathise with residents and convey the state government’s condolences to the families of the victims.
As of the time of filing this report, police authorities had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
Zamfara is among the North-West states worst hit by banditry and armed attacks, alongside Kebbi, Kaduna, Sokoto and Katsina states, with criminal groups often targeting rural communities in violent raids linked to cattle rustling and resource conflicts.
The latest attack comes days after gunmen killed dozens of people and razed seven villages in Kebbi State. Members of the Lakurawa group reportedly attacked communities in the Bui District of Arewa Local Government Area at about 1:15 pm on Wednesday.
Kebbi State Police spokesperson, Bashir Usman, confirmed that several residents were killed as communities mobilised to resist the attackers. He added that the gunmen also rustled cattle before security operatives, including police, soldiers and local vigilantes, were deployed to the area.
Nigeria continues to grapple with over a decade of insurgency in the North-East and escalating armed banditry across parts of the North-West and North-Central regions, compounding the country’s security challenges.
