A group of bandits abducted internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Nigeria's northwestern Sokoto State, residents told Anadolu on Thursday.

They said the attack occurred in Gangara village in Sabon Birni Local Government Area, where gunmen reportedly stormed a settlement housing displaced residents, killing three IDPs and abducting more than 20.

Sabon Birni, located near the border with Niger, has remained one of the worst-hit areas by armed bandit groups that routinely raid villages, kill residents, rustle livestock, and kidnap residents for ransom.

The victims were among those who had fled previous attacks in surrounding communities and sought refuge in Gangara, only to come under renewed assault.

Children among the kidnap victims

One of the displaced women, Yarmagaji, a widow and mother of five from Tungar Barke, said her children were among those kidnapped by the bandits.

Abubakar Muhammad, who sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his left hand during the attack, said the armed bandits came on about 20 motorcycles and started shooting indiscriminately.

“I tried to escape, but one of them chased me, ordered me to stop, and when I refused, he opened fire. Several bullets hit my hand and I lost consciousness,” he said.

Spokesperson of the Police Command in Sokoto State, Ahmad Rufai, said efforts are in place to rescue the victims.

Pursuit

“We are working on getting them back,” he told Anadolu on the phone.

The latest incident shows the growing vulnerability of internally displaced persons in Nigeria's northwest, where many have sought shelter in neighbouring villages rather than formal displacement camps due to limited humanitarian support.