Suspected members of the notorious Lakurawa bandit group have attacked a church in Kebbi State, kidnapping eight female worshippers during a Sunday service, according to local officials.
The Chairman of Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area, Hussaini Aliyu Bena, confirmed the incident to journalists, stating that the attack occurred in Zagani village, located near the border with Zamfara State.
"We've not been able to obtain the victims' identities due to poor network coverage in the area. So far, no contact has been established with the abductors," Bena said during a telephone interview.
The council chairman expressed concerns over what he described as a worrying trend, suggesting that the bandits may have reached a peace agreement with neighboring Zamfara State and are now shifting their operations into Kebbi, which they reportedly consider a soft target.
According to Bena, the Kebbi State government had attempted to deploy military personnel to the area last year, but the plan was disrupted by the rainy season. He added that arrangements have now been finalized for a large-scale security deployment aimed at protecting the vulnerable border communities from further attacks.
The Lakurawa group has been linked to numerous violent incidents in Nigeria's northwest region, with this latest attack highlighting the ongoing security challenges faced by rural communities in the area.
Security experts have repeatedly called for improved coordination between states to prevent bandits from exploiting jurisdictional boundaries to evade law enforcement operations.
As of the time of this report, authorities have not released further details about the identities of the victims or any demands from the kidnappers.
