Over 150 Villagers Abducted in Zamfara Held in Chains as Bandits Demand Negotiation
More than 150 villagers kidnapped from several communities in Zamfara State are being held in harrowing conditions by armed bandits, according to a disturbing video that surfaced online on Monday. The footage, widely circulated on social media, shows the victims men, women, and children chained together in a forest hideout, visibly weak, malnourished, and crying for help.
The video, allegedly uploaded by a self-identified bandit operating under the alias “Ibrahim Musa 099,” appears to be an attempt to pressure the government into negotiating with the abductors. In the clip, the victims can be seen shackled and surrounded by armed guards, highlighting the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the kidnappers’ camp.
Security sources confirmed that the hostages were abducted in waves across villages such as Madaro, Maguru, Kyambarawa, and Janbako. The video was first reshared by a conflict tracker who goes by the name “Bakatsine” on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), who also confirmed that the captives were taken during coordinated raids by armed groups operating in Zamfara’s dense forest regions.
In a separate but related incident, survivors have recounted the horrifying experience of being detained by the gang led by a notorious bandit known as Kachalla Bello, alias “Dansadiya.” More than 80 people were abducted from the Banga and Yamutsawa communities in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area. According to residents, at least 50 of those captives died in detention. Only 18 were released, with many in critical condition, bearing physical scars and signs of severe trauma.
A resident who escaped captivity described the ordeal as “a nightmare,” alleging that some victims were forced to carry out executions under threat of death. The survivor added that several hostages, especially the elderly and children, succumbed to illness and starvation, as food and medical care were deliberately withheld.
The renewed wave of abductions is part of a broader pattern of violence in Zamfara State, which has become a hotspot for banditry in Nigeria’s northwest. Just two weeks earlier, armed groups killed at least six people and abducted over 100 others during another series of attacks reported by international media.
The Nigerian government has not yet issued a statement regarding the latest footage, but the growing scale and brazenness of these attacks have sparked fresh outrage. Human rights groups and security analysts have called for immediate intervention, urging both federal and state authorities to deploy rescue operations and increase surveillance in affected regions.
Despite ongoing military operations and vigilante efforts, the crisis in Zamfara shows no sign of abating. With the release of this latest video, the spotlight once again falls on Nigeria’s fragile security situation, the vulnerability of rural communities, and the urgent need for a more coordinated, humane, and effective response to banditry and mass kidnappings.
