A bride-to-be and her bridesmaid are among ten people abducted by suspected armed bandits in a midnight raid on Chacho village in the Wurno Local Government Area of Sokoto State, northwest Nigeria.
The attack occurred at around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, when gunmen stormed the community and seized the bride, her close friend, and eight other residents.
All the victims are women except for one man. One person was injured during the assault and is currently receiving medical treatment.
Residents told local reporters that the bride had been preparing for her wedding, which was due to take place later in the day. A community member, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, described the incident as “tragic”.
He added that villagers alerted security operatives as the attack unfolded, but said officers arrived roughly an hour after the gunmen had already fled, a delay that has deepened frustration in the community.
The Sokoto State Police Command confirmed the incident. Spokesman DSP Ahmad Rufa’i said preliminary reports had been received and further details were being compiled.
The raid is the latest in a wave of mass abductions affecting several parts of Nigeria as armed groups continue to target rural communities, places of worship and road travellers.
Earlier on Sunday, gunmen attacked a newly established Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Ejiba, Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State, kidnapping a pastor, his wife and several congregants during a church service.
Witnesses said worshippers fled in panic as gunshots echoed through the area before the attackers escaped with the victims.
