Gunmen kidnap over 100 in Nigeria's Zamfara state

More than 100 people, including women and children, were abducted when gunmen raided four villages in Nigeria’s northwestern Zamfara state on November 20.

The statement came from the local information commissioner and residents on November 21, CNN informs.

Kidnapping has become endemic in northwest Nigeria as roving gangs of armed men abduct people from villages, highways and farms, and demand ransom money from their relatives, according to CNN.

More than 40 people were abducted from Kanwa village in Zurmi local government area of Zamfara, Zamfara information commissioner Ibrahim Dosara and one resident said.

Another 37, mostly women and children were taken in the Kwabre community in the same local government area, the resident added, declining to be named for security reasons.

"Right now Kanwa village is deserted, the bandits divided themselves into two groups and attacked the community. They kidnapped children aged between 14 to 16 years and women," the Kanwa village resident said.

In the Yankaba and Gidan Goga communities of the Maradun Local government area, at least 38 people were kidnapped while working on their farms, residents said.