Terror struck Sabo village in Zamfara State after bandits, heavily armed, stormed the community, overpowered local vigilantes, and abducted at least 16 residents of the community, including women, children, and the elderly.
The attack occurred in Murai ward of Talata Mafara Local Government Area, a region that has been notorious for bandit attacks for many years. It happened on Wednesday, November 6, 2025.
Diaspora Digital Media gathered that the gunmen invaded Sado community in a hail of bullets to catch the local security volunteers off guard. Despite the vigilantes’ courageous resistance, they were outnumbered by the scores of the assailants.
“The bandits came to our community unannounced,” Aliyu Saidu, the district head of Sado, was quoted as saying. “The vigilantes tried to repel the attack but were overpowered. We have confirmed 16 people kidnapped, but the number may rise as we continue to search for others.”
Nasiru, a local trader, was taken along with his wife. His friend, Alhaji Ibrahim Shehu Sado, said he tried calling him as soon as he heard about the attack but his call wasn’t responded to. “He has been kidnapped along with his wife,” he said in sorrow.
The attack has left the entire community in panic. The villagers are now converging at the village square, awaiting the kidnappers’ call to demand ransom. Families have been displaced, and many remain uncertain about the fate of their loved ones.
This is not the first time Sado village has faced this kind of violence. A similar raid last year led to the abduction of the head of the village, Aliyu Saidu, who has relocated to Morai to escape trauma.
A relative to another victim, Umar Rabiu, appealed for assistance from the authorities: “My elder brother was kidnapped today. We are begging the government and security agencies to rescue them.”
The worsening insecurity in Zamfara has continued despite ongoing military operations in the region. Just weeks earlier, bandits abducted six butchers and animal traders returning from the Magajin Maitarko market through the Dogon Santsi forest route in Gusau Local Government Area.
According to one of the victims’ relatives, Ishiaku Umar, the attackers blocked the Gusau–Dansadau Road and started firing: “One of them was shot dead, and another is in critical condition. The bandits later used the victim’s phone to contact us,” he said.
People in Sado and around describe living in fear day and night, with many believing that the attacks are part of a coordinated wave of violence with the intent of forcing people off their land.
Security experts warn that rural areas across Zamfara, Katsina, and Kaduna States have become major targets as bandits expand their operations. Local vigilantes who often fight without proper weapons or support remain very vulnerable against heavily armed gangs.
The latest abduction has increased calls for the federal government to step up counterterrorism efforts and safeguard remote farming communities ahead of the dry-season harvest.