Bandits abduct 13 residents in latest Kebbi attack

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By Haruna Aliyu

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Suspected armed bandits have abducted 13 residents of Tangaram Village in Wasagu District of Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State following a midnight attack on the community.

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Residents said the attackers stormed the village at about 1:00 a.m. on Sunday, firing sporadically into the air before breaking into homes and whisking victims away toward the Zamfara border.

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An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the attack as terrifying.

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“They came on motorcycles and started shooting into the air. People ran in different directions, but they forced their way into houses and took away several residents,” the source said.

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The witness added that Tangaram and surrounding communities have suffered repeated attacks due to their proximity to forest corridors linking Kebbi, Zamfara, and Niger states.

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Recent attacks in Danko/Wasagu have reportedly resulted in mass abductions, with some victims allegedly released after ransom payments running into millions of naira.

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Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Kebbi State Police Command, SP Bashir Usman, said the victims remain in captivity but clarified that preliminary investigations showed the abducted persons were adult males.

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“The abducted persons are still in captivity following the attack on Tangaram Village, Danko/Wasagu LGA,” Usman said.

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“Preliminary findings, however, confirm that all the victims are adult male residents of the village, contrary to reports being circulated.”

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The police spokesperson said security operatives had intensified rescue operations across the border communities.

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“Police tactical teams, in collaboration with vigilante groups and other security agencies, have sustained coordinated rescue efforts along the border axis with Zamfara State with a view to ensuring the safe rescue of the victims and arrest of the perpetrators,” he added.

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The latest attack has renewed concerns over worsening insecurity in border communities across Kebbi State, where residents continue to face recurring raids, kidnappings, and cattle rustling by armed groups operating along the North-West forest belt.

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