A pregnant woman abducted by bandits in Zamfara state has reportedly given birth while still being held in captivity.
The woman was among more than 20 women and four men seized when gunmen invaded the Nahuche community in Bungudu LGA during a late-night raid.
Residents said several of those taken were nursing mothers who were abducted with infants strapped to their backs at the time of the attack.
According to BBC Hausa, the assailants entered the community at about 1 a.m., moving from house to house and abducting residents before any alarm could be raised.
“What has shocked us most is that one of the pregnant women gave birth on the way to the forest,” the resident said.
“Despite her condition and the newborn baby, the bandits still took her along instead of allowing her to return home. It shows a total lack of mercy.”
The resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said more than 20 women and four men were abducted.
He added that the number of babies involved could not be confirmed because several of the women were carrying infants.
Community members said the incident plunged Nahuche into grief and fear, coming after a short period they described as relatively peaceful.
Many residents said they had begun to believe the worst of the violence was behind them before the latest attack shattered that fragile sense of relief.
Zamfara state has emerged as one of the areas most affected by banditry in recent years, experiencing repeated mass abductions, deadly village raids, and large-scale displacement.
Despite ongoing military operations and security interventions, residents of rural communities continue to suffer the heaviest impact of the violence.