Not less than 80 children have been kidnapped by terrorists on Friday morning during a fresh operation in the Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
This was confirmed to BBC Hausa by the parents of the victims who revealed that the children were between the ages of 12 and 17.
They added that the victims were in the bush fetching firewood at about 8:00 a.m. when the terrorists rounded them up and marched them away into the forest.
As of the time the BBC reported the kidnapping, the abductors had yet to contact the parents in order to make any demands.
Bandits’ activities in Zamfara have not stopped despite several government interventions to stop them. Hundreds of schoolchildren have been kidnapped and some have been released after a ransom has been paid.
In March, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of a division in the Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State, a sergeant and one vigilante were killed when bandits attacked the headquarters of the local government area.
It was gathered that when the DPO of the local government area, identified as Kazeem Raheem, received the information about the attack, he mobilised his men and some local vigilantes to repel the bandits.
The DPO, a sergeant identified as Rabiu Bagobiri and a vigilante identified as Shehu Chuka, were killed during the counter-offensive.
Confirming the tragic incident, the Zamfara State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Mohammed Shehu, had said police authorities in the state were currently in Maru for an on-the-spot assessment.
