In Nigeria, at least nine people were killed and several others kidnapped in an attack in the northwestern state of Zamfara. Gunmen targeted several villages, according to reports from local officials.

For several years, criminal gangs, locally known as ” bandits,” have been operating in the region. They kill, loot, and kidnap civilians for ransom, spreading terror in rural areas.

Nigerian authorities are struggling to contain this violence, which has already left hundreds dead and thousands displaced.
Some villages are now completely isolated, abandoned by their residents or under constant threat from armed groups.