By Atoyebi Nike
Armed bandits have kidnapped more than 50 people in two separate incidents in Zamfara State, intensifying fears that peace negotiations with armed groups may not halt violence across the region.
At least 40 worshippers were abducted during dawn prayers on Monday at a mosque in Gidan Turbe village, Tsafe Local Government Area. According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication, the attackers stormed the mosque at about 5:30 a.m., surrounded the building, and forced worshippers out at gunpoint before marching them into the Gohori forest axis.
The attack, which has plunged the community into despair, came barely a day after reports of a peace deal between local leaders and armed groups in Katsina and nearby states. A source told Makama that the incident highlighted the lack of coordination among criminal gangs, noting that while some negotiations were ongoing, attacks persisted in Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Kaduna.
In a separate incident on Sunday, bandits kidnapped 12 residents of Godai village in Bukkuyum LGA. Witnesses said the attackers fired shots indiscriminately, forcing residents to flee before abducting the victims and taking them towards Gyado forest.
The Zamfara State Police Command confirmed it had received a distress call from the divisional police officer in Bukkuyum. Security personnel were said to have been deployed to track the attackers and secure the release of the captives.
The latest kidnappings have heightened anxiety in Zamfara, where residents remain caught between government-backed peace efforts and continued armed raids.
