Nigeria faces a severe security crisis as mass abductions continue to plague the nation, with armed bandits kidnapping 14 individuals including a bride and her bridal party in northeastern Sokoto State. The overnight raid on Chacho village represents the latest in a series of coordinated attacks that have resulted in hundreds of citizens being taken captive in recent weeks.
According to local resident Aliyu Abdullahi, the assailants targeted the Zango neighborhood during the night of Saturday through Sunday, abducting the newlywed woman along with ten bridesmaids. The attack also claimed a mother and her infant child, plus another female villager. The timing exploited a regional tradition where brides spend their initial married night accompanied by their bridesmaids in their new residence before their husbands join them.
This incident marks the second assault on Chacho within months, following an October kidnapping where 13 residents were taken and subsequently released only after ransom payments were made. The persistent violence has intensified pressure on President Bola Tinubu’s administration, which declared a nationwide state of emergency last Wednesday in response to the deteriorating security situation.
An intelligence document obtained by AFP indicates Sokoto experienced its highest frequency of bandit-initiated abductions in November over the past year. Security analysts suggest this surge may stem from agreements brokered by neighboring states attempting to negotiate ceasefires with criminal elements. Critics contend these pacts inadvertently enable militant groups to consolidate their strongholds while expanding operations into regions with reduced military presence.
The escalating crisis has drawn international attention, with former US President Donald Trump threatening military intervention in Africa’s most populous nation, citing violence against Christian communities by radical Islamists. Nigeria continues to struggle against multiple security threats including jihadist factions and criminal networks locally termed ‘bandits,’ who engage in systematic kidnappings for ransom, village raids, and destructive attacks on civilian populations.