---
title: "Armed men on motorbikes kill 11, kidnap 70 in northwest Nigeria"
description: "Armed men on motorbikes killed 11 people and kidnapped at least 70 others, including women and children, in a village in northwest Nigeria, witnesses said, in a region plagued by mass abductions and unrest."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-08-04-armed-men-on-motorbikes-kill-11-kidnap-70-in-northwest-nigeria/"
published: "2025-08-04T13:25:00"
updated: "2025-08-04T13:25:02"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 183
---

# Armed men on motorbikes kill 11, kidnap 70 in northwest Nigeria

> Armed men on motorbikes killed 11 people and kidnapped at least 70 others, including women and children, in a village in northwest Nigeria, witnesses said, in a region plagued by mass abductions and unrest.

By Reuters · Published 4 August 2025, 15:25 SAST · Updated 4 August 2025, 15:25 SAST

## Key points
- In a chilling reminder that rural Nigeria is no longer a safe haven, armed men on motorcycles turned Sabongarin Damri into a scene of chaos and heartbreak, abducting over 60 residents, leaving families shattered, and the local police as silent as the empty streets.
- Armed assailants on motorcycles attacked Sabongarin Damri, Zamfara State, late Saturday, resulting in random gunfire and abductions.
- Local resident Sufiyanu Ibrahim reported that his wife was kidnapped and he sustained a gunshot wound while escaping the chaos.
- Over 60 individuals, including women and children, were abducted, with at least 11 fatalities confirmed amidst the violence.
- Zamfara has become a hotspot for banditry, disrupting farming and displacing thousands as ransom demands continue.

## Content

The men opened fire as they rode into Sabongarin Damri in Zamfara State late on Saturday, resident Isa Sani told Reuters.

"They came on motorcycles, shooting randomly before abducting our daughters and children. As of today, we haven't heard anything from them. Everywhere is quiet," he said on Monday.

Sufiyanu Ibrahim said the attackers kidnapped his wife and shot him in the leg. "There was gunshots everywhere ... I narrowly escaped," he said by phone. At least 11 people were killed, he added.

Groups known locally as "bandits" have killed hundreds of people and seized thousands across the state in recent years. They often hold captives for months and demand ransoms for their release.

Zamfara, which borders Niger, has become the epicentre of the violent attacks that have disrupted farming and travel and forced thousands to flee their homes.

Shehu Musa, the traditional chief of Sabongarin Damri village, confirmed that more than 60 people were taken, including women and children.

Zamfara police did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

(Reporting by Ahmed Kingimi in Maiduguri; Writing Elisha Bala-Gbogbo; Editing by Andrew Heavens)