Several residents of Nassarawa Burkullu community, near Bakin Gari in Bukkuyum Local Government Area of Zamfara State, have been abducted by armed bandits in yet another brazen attack, deepening fears over the deteriorating security situation across Nigeria’s North-West.
The assailants reportedly invaded the community on Monday evening, shooting indiscriminately to instill fear before whisking away an unspecified number of residents to an unknown destination.
The attack was disclosed by security analyst Bakatsine, who revealed that the gunmen struck the community without resistance, leaving residents traumatised and families in anguish over the fate of their loved ones.
“This evening, bandits raided Nassarawa Burkullu, near Bakin Gari in Bukkuyum LGA of Zamfara State, abducting several residents,” Bakatsine said in a post on Monday night.
He noted that the assault had plunged the community into panic, with desperate appeals for urgent intervention by security agencies.
“The attack has left the community in fear, with desperate appeals for urgent security intervention as families await news of their loved ones,” he added.
Questioning the country’s response to the growing wave of insecurity, the security analyst lamented the continued vulnerability of rural communities.
“How many more rural communities must live under the constant threat of abduction before lasting security becomes a reality?” he asked.
As of press time, authorities had not confirmed the number of victims taken during the raid. The Zamfara State Government and security agencies had also yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
Efforts to obtain a reaction from the Zamfara State Police Command were unsuccessful. Calls and text messages sent to the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Yazid Abubakar, were neither answered nor returned before this report was filed.
Bukkuyum Local Government Area has remained one of the flashpoints of banditry in Zamfara State, with armed groups repeatedly attacking villages, rustling cattle, kidnapping residents and forcing thousands to flee their homes.
The latest assault comes amid mounting criticism of the government’s inability to halt the relentless attacks on vulnerable communities despite repeated military operations across the region.
The incident also follows a similar wave of abductions reported in neighbouring Kebbi State. Last weekend, several farmers were kidnapped in separate attacks on farmlands in Wasagu and Dadin Kowa, both in Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area.
According to reports, the attacks occurred while the victims were tending their farms, highlighting the increasing dangers faced by rural farmers during the farming season.
The recurring assaults have heightened fears over the safety of farming communities and raised fresh concerns about their impact on food production, livelihoods and the broader economy.
With another community thrown into mourning and uncertainty, the latest attack has intensified calls for intelligence-driven security operations, stronger protection for rural settlements and decisive action to end the cycle of mass abductions that continues to devastate communities across Zamfara and the wider North-West.