Gunmen Raid Nigerian Army Base, Kidnap 52, Including Children

Armed attackers stormed a Nigerian military camp and the nearby village of Kasuwar Daji in Zamfara State, abducting at least 52 people, including an unknown number of children, in one of the latest mass kidnappings to hit the country’s troubled northwest.

The attack, which authorities said took place over the weekend but was confirmed earlier this week, began with an assault on a military base before the gunmen moved into the village. According to the Nigerian military, the attackers engaged security personnel in a fierce gun battle before overpowering the position.

Northwest military spokesperson Olaniyi Osoba confirmed that one soldier and one police officer were killed during the exchange of gunfire. The attackers also seized weapons from the camp and set a military patrol vehicle on fire before fleeing into nearby communities.

After breaching the security position, the gunmen entered Kasuwar Daji, where they rounded up dozens of residents and forced them away. Authorities said at least 52 civilians were kidnapped, although the exact number of children among those taken has not yet been confirmed.

The Nigerian government and military have described the attackers as terrorists, reflecting the growing security threat posed by heavily armed criminal groups operating across northwestern Nigeria. While many of these groups are commonly referred to as bandits, authorities increasingly classify them as terrorist organizations because they attack civilians, security forces, and public infrastructure.

Zamfara State has remained one of the epicentres of Nigeria’s kidnapping crisis, with armed groups routinely raiding villages, highways, schools, and farming communities. Kidnapping for ransom has become one of their primary sources of funding, despite repeated military operations aimed at dismantling their networks.