Thirteen women, including a bride and ten of her bridesmaids, were kidnapped in the early hours of Sunday when armed men stormed Chacho village in Sokoto State. The attackers raided a home in the Zango area, seizing the women along with a baby before disappearing into nearby bushland. Residents said the gunmen operated swiftly and without resistance, leaving the community in panic.
Chacho has been targeted before. Just weeks ago, bandits abducted 13 villagers, forcing families to pay ransom to secure their release. Locals say the community has become a repeated target because security presence is thin and response times are slow, allowing armed groups to strike and retreat with ease.
Security sources report that November has recorded a sharp spike in mass kidnappings across Sokoto, making it the worst month for abductions in the state in the past year. The growing trend has coincided with a broader rise in violent raids across northern Nigeria, where schools, churches, farms and remote settlements have all been hit by organised criminal groups seeking ransom.
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In recent days, students and staff have been kidnapped from schools in neighbouring states, further heightening fears among rural communities who already feel abandoned by authorities. Residents say they sleep lightly, if at all, and many farmers now avoid distant farmlands because of the constant threat of attacks.
The latest kidnapping adds to mounting pressure on both federal and state governments to act decisively. Public frustration continues to grow as affected communities demand stronger protection and a clear strategy to dismantle kidnapping networks that have proven resilient and increasingly brazen.
No group has claimed responsibility for the abduction, and there is still no information on the condition or whereabouts of the kidnapped women. Families wait anxiously for news, while security agencies face renewed calls to rescue the victims and prevent further raids in a region weary of violence and spiralling insecurity.
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