Terror Group Abduct District Head In Renewed Attacks In Northwest Nigeria

A terror group on Sunday, Oct. 9, abducted the district head of Iyaka village in Gummi Emirate in Nigeria’s volatile northwestern state of Zamfara, according to local witnesses. 

The district head, Marafa Danbaba, was abducted at about 1:45 p.m at his residence in Gummi Local Government Area after the village was invaded. 

According to local witnesses, the attackers dropped off their motorcycles in the bush before walking to the village and storming his residence. 

The security crisis in Zamfara has continued despite interventions from security forces. On Saturday, another attack occurred in the Masama-Mudi village in neighbouring Bukkuyum Local Government Area. 

During the raid, the attackers demanded that a farmer they met resting under a tree show them the rich houses within the community. 

“The terror group forced Lauwali Dan-tawasa to show them the rich people in the village. But he told them that he didn’t know them. His refusal cost him the abduction of his son, ” said a local teacher, Mustapha Mamman.

Others abducted in the raid were eight nursing mothers and four other teenage boys. According to Musa Isah Masama, a five-month-old baby was dropped on the ground while the mother was abducted. 

The son-in-law, Ibrahim Aminu of the district head abducted on Sunday  says they had noticed constant surveillance .

The Administrator of Gummi Local Government,  Abubakar Shehu has  confirmed the incident in Iyaka saying he was  disheartened to hear the sad news of the abduction. 

Northwestern Nigeria and parts of the neighbouring Northcentral are struggling with widespread violence and kidnapping for ransom. The violence has also displaced communities and forced thousands to seek shelter in safer areas away from the terror groups.