Nigeria's banditry legacy: Over 100 abducted in motorcycle raids on Zamfara Villages

Armed gangs, referred to locally as bandits, kidnapped the residents after the villages failed to pay a "tax" imposed on them by the gunmen, witnesses said to BBC.

A local village head told Reuters that one resident was killed in Friday's attack.

Gunmen on dozens of motorcycles stormed the villages of Mutunji, Kwanar-Dutse, Sabon-Garin Mahuta, and Unguwar Kawo in the Maru local government area of the states, residents told Reuters.

Locals told the BBC the gunmen's leader is named "Lawali Damana."

Damana controls most of the region in the absence of state security forces, said the locals.

Dankandai Musa, one of the village residents, told Reuters that he was able to escape unobserved during the turmoil. However, twenty of his kin were abducted.

"I managed to escape after they were regrouping us and the people from the three other villages that were attacked," he said. "I fled while they were dragging us to the bush."

A local village head told Reuters that Danama had already sought 100 million naira ($119,000) from the communities as payback after four of his men were slain by the Nigerian military.

President Bola Tinubu since taking office in May, President Bola Tinubu has not yet revealed his strategy for addressing the insecurity.

Aware of the problem, Tinubu's campaign highlighted his experience as governor of Borno State in northeastern Nigeria, which is home to several Islamist extremist organisations and the Boko Haram conflict.

Legacy of kidnapping and banditry in Nigeria

In recent years, an alarming surge in kidnapping for ransom has plagued north-western Nigeria, with armed gangs, commonly known as "bandits," targeting villages, schools, and travelers.

Over 1,000 students have been abducted since December 2020, often released only after hefty ransoms are paid, BBC reported.

The perpetrators, referred to as 'bandits,' conduct ruthless raids on villages, kidnapping civilians, and setting houses ablaze.

These attacks have forced thousands of people to flee their homes, seeking refuge elsewhere in the country.

The epicentre of these atrocities is the north-west, particularly in Zamfara State, where over 3,000 people have lost their lives since 2012.

The kidnapping industry appears to be thriving, extending its reach into previously secure areas beyond the control of the Nigerian army. This poses a significant threat to trade, education, and the agricultural sector.

Nigeria grapples with a multitude of security challenges, including a jihadist insurgency in the north, deadly conflicts between herders and farmers, a separatist insurgency in the southeast, and militant demands for a greater share of oil profits in the Niger Delta.