At least nine people have been killed and over 100 others abducted in Nigeria’s northwestern Zamfara State, as heavily armed gangs locally known as ‘bandits’ continue to terrorize rural communities.

The attack on Friday targeted Talata Mafara district, with victims including members of local self-defence groups, residents said. Yahaya Yari Abubakar, the district’s political administrator, confirmed the death toll and said at least 15 people were known to have been abducted, though local lawmaker Hamisu Faru estimated the number exceeded 100, with many women and children taken.

“Everybody is now afraid of going to the farm for fear of being attacked,” said Bello Ahmadu, a local resident. Another resident, Mohammed Usman, reported the attackers laid siege to the town for nearly two hours, forcing thousands to flee.

Zamfara, long plagued by conflicts between farmers and herders, has become a hub for organized criminal groups benefiting from arms trafficking. The violence has escalated into widespread kidnappings and killings across the northwest.

Nigerian security forces, alongside state-backed vigilantes, have been engaged in sporadic operations to dismantle the gangs. Last month, vigilantes aided by Nigeria’s secret police killed about 100 people during a raid on a gang leader’s enclave in Shinkafi district.

Despite these efforts, attacks persist. Jangebe village, hit in Friday’s attack, was also the site of a mass kidnapping in 2021 when nearly 300 schoolgirls were abducted and later freed after a ransom payment.

Police in Zamfara did not immediately comment on the latest incident.