At least 70 individuals who were taken hostage by armed bandits in remote forest camps in Zamfara State have been killed, following their abduction from several communities across the region.
The killings, according to chilling testimonies from survivors, occurred in the state’s Kauran Namoda Local Government Area, where victims were held in captivity under brutal and inhumane conditions.
The survivors, who managed to escape or were eventually released, recounted how the killings occurred in separate forest locations where dozens of captives, including women and newborns, were held in inhumane conditions for weeks.
According to them, the victims had been abducted in early July during coordinated attacks on Banga and Yamutsawa communities, with entire families taken from their homes and marched into the dense forest.
In Banga village alone, over 50 abductees were reportedly executed by the armed group, with only 18 surviving and later regaining freedom. In Yamutsawa, 20 out of 33 abducted individuals were said to have died in captivity.
Among the deceased were three women who gave birth while in the forest camps, along with their newborns, a detail that survivors say underscores the extreme cruelty of the abductors.
One survivor, a teenage boy who escaped after several weeks, described the conditions inside the camps as “pure horror.”
He said the captives were frequently beaten, starved, and in some cases, forced to witness or take part in executions ordered by the gang leader, identified as Kachalla Bello, also known as Dansadiya.
“There were nights we thought we would all die. They gave us very little food, beat people at random, and sometimes made us watch or help in the killings,” he said.
The victims were reportedly held in camps deep within forest areas near the border with Katsina State, terrain notorious for limited security access and slow response times from law enforcement.
Locals told reporters that, despite multiple distress calls made during and after the attacks, no prompt rescue efforts were made, citing poor communication networks and inadequate coordination between rural communities and security agencies.
Zamfara has remained a hotspot of deadly banditry in Nigeria’s North-West, with rural settlements, highways, and markets often targeted by heavily armed gangs.
The latest mass killings have sparked renewed outrage among residents and advocacy groups, who are now calling for urgent government intervention and a comprehensive overhaul of the region’s security strategy.
Earlier in January, similar attacks in Maru and Shinkafi Local Government Areas left dozens dead and many more abducted.
Just last month, eight commuters were reportedly killed and several kidnapped along a highway near Gusau, the state capital.
Community leaders and civil society organizations are urging better coordination among security forces, improved intelligence sharing, and post-trauma support for affected families.
They also lament that, despite military presence and local vigilante initiatives, vast parts of the state remain dangerously vulnerable.
As of press time, the Zamfara State Government has yet to issue an official statement regarding the recent incident.
