Bandits kidnap bride, 10 bridesmaids, baby, two others
Gunmen have reportedly abducted 13 women and an infant during an overnight raid in a community in Sokoto State, marking the latest in a series of mass kidnappings in the country.
A bride and 10 of her bridesmaids were among those abducted on the night of Saturday to Sunday from the Chacho village in Sokoto State, a resident told the AFP news agency.
“Bandits stormed our village last night and kidnapped 14 persons, including a bride and 10 bridesmaids, from a house in Zango neighbourhood,” said Aliyu Abdullahi, a resident of Chacho village.
A baby, the baby’s mother and another woman were also taken, Abdullahi added.
According to Abdullahi, Chacho had already been targeted in October by bandits who kidnapped 13 people.
“We had to pay ransom to secure their freedom. Now, we are faced with the same situation,” he said.
Nigerian intelligence report seen by the AFP confirmed the attack.
“Sokoto witnessed a notable uptick in bandit-initiated abductions in November, culminating in the highest number of such attacks in the past year,” the report found.
It suggested that deals struck by neighbouring states in the hopes of getting the bandits to agree to stop their activities may be partly responsible for the uptick.
Security experts have often criticized these agreements, arguing they allow gangs to entrench themselves in their hideouts while continuing their raids elsewhere.
“As a result, some bandits may be moving into areas with less military pressure. This shift can lead to more mass kidnappings in places like Sokoto, leading to an increase in mass kidnap-for-ransom attacks,” the report added.
Last week, attackers took 25 students in Kebbi State and more than 300 in Niger State. Those abducted from Kebbi were rescued and united with their parents, while there is an ongoing search for the others.
Mass kidnappings for ransom have become common in northern Nigeria, where armed gangs target schools and rural communities, often overwhelming local security forces.
SOURCE: AFP
