Overview
- Gunmen on motorcycles attacked Tungan Dutse in Zamfara’s Bukkuyum area overnight Thursday into Friday, killing at least 50 people and abducting women and children, according to a local lawmaker and residents.
- Local officials are still compiling a list of the missing, and the number of abducted residents remains unknown.
- Residents said they alerted security forces after spotting more than 150 motorcycles carrying armed men a day before the assault but received no protection.
- The Zamfara atrocity follows other recent raids in the northwest, including an attack in Kebbi state’s Biu community that left 33 dead, which police linked to Lakurawa militants who crossed from Sokoto to rustle cattle.
- Nigeria has expanded security cooperation with the United States, with the military confirming the arrival of 100 U.S. troops this week to provide training, technical support and intelligence sharing, following U.S.-coordinated airstrikes in Sokoto on December 25.