Gunmen, believed to be terrorists, have abducted at least 25 people, mostly women and children, in Batsari Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The incident occurred late Sunday night in the Ajasa community, where several homes were also looted by the attackers.
A local resident, who wished to remain anonymous, reported that the gunmen arrived in large numbers and fired indiscriminately into the air to announce their presence.
While no one was killed, the assailants took the 25 victims and transported them into the forest.
The resident also noted that the attackers faced no resistance as security forces did not arrive in the area until hours after the gunmen had left.
Concerns were raised about the well-being of the abducted individuals, particularly the children and infants, who would likely suffer in the cold harmattan conditions in the forest.
The gunmen have yet to make contact with the community regarding the victims, a pattern consistent with previous abductions in the region.
The source called for increased security in the area, as communities have been frequently targeted by such attacks.
He pointed out a similar incident that occurred just days earlier, when gunmen attacked a neighboring village, killing one person and injuring another during the day while farmers were harvesting crops.
The police spokesperson for the state, ASP Abubakar Aliyu, confirmed that inquiries would be made into the incident.
As at the time of this report, no further details have been released.
