Gunmen suspected to be bandits attacked Kasuwar-Daji community of Kaura Namoda local government area of Zamfara state in the early hours of Saturday, leaving two security personnel dead and dozens of civilians abducted.
There were conflicting accounts from local sources and the Nigerian Army on the atack.
Sources said the attack occurred at about 1:40 a.m. at the Forward Operating Base in Kasuwar-Daji.
A report shared on X by conflict journalist Bakatsine and corroborated by a resident who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the attackers overran the outpost after a gun battle, killing two soldiers and injuring several others.
The assailants were said to have set ablaze a military Hilux vehicle and the soldiers’ accommodation before moving into the Kasuwar-Daji community.
Bakatsine posted: “Last night, bandits launched a deadly attack on Kasuwar-daji community in Kaura Namoda LGA of Zamfara state. They then stormed the community, abducting about 70 people, mostly women and children and looted several shops before fleeing.”
The resident told our correspondent that Kaura Namoda and neighboring LGAs remain vulnerable due to difficult terrain and limited troop presence, a situation which armed groups have exploited for abductions and cattle rustling.
He described the incident as another heartbreaking tragedy for families living under constant fear of attack.
In a press statement issued Sunday, the Nigerian Army gave a different account.