Six members of one family were killed after attackers set fire to their home in Sokoto State, witnesses have told news agencies

At least 12 people have been killed and an unspecified number of women and children abducted in an attack by gunmen in northwestern Nigeria, Reuters has reported, citing local residents.

Armed men, as yet unidentified by the authorities, entered the village of Lajinge in Sokoto State at around 11 PM local time on Saturday and attacked residents until approximately 3 AM on Sunday.

Six members of one family were killed when their home was set on fire, according to witnesses. "They killed at least 12 people, injured four others, abducted women and children after rustling many livestock," resident Auwal Hassan told Reuters by telephone.

Sokoto police spokesperson Ahmed Rufai also told the outlet that an investigation had been launched and that the force would provide further information later. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The northwest region of Africa's most populous nation has faced persistent attacks by heavily armed gangs commonly known as bandits. The groups raid rural communities, kidnap residents for ransom, steal livestock, and demand payments from farmers seeking access to their land.

Nigeria has also experienced an upsurge in mass abductions amid a worsening security crisis, despite President Bola Tinubu declaring a nationwide security emergency in November and ordering the recruitment of thousands of additional police officers and military personnel. Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province and the Al-Qaeda-linked Ansaru group have been blamed for attacks on villages, churches, and schools, as well as mass kidnappings.

On May 15, gunmen seized 39 pupils and seven teachers from three schools in Oyo State. The authorities said 44 surviving captives were freed on July 10 following a military operation. Last November, 25 Muslim schoolgirls were abducted from a government school in Kebbi State, while about 230 children and teachers were seized days later from a Catholic school in neighboring Niger State. All were subsequently freed, according to the authorities. Last month, the government announced an expanded Safe Schools framework involving fencing, lighting, security personnel, and monitoring technology as part of measures to address the crisis.

On Sunday, the Nigerian Army said troops foiled an attempted "infiltration" of a military base in Zamfara State by terrorists. An army officer and a police officer were killed, while nine of an unspecified number of abducted civilians were rescued, the military said in a statement.

The US deployed around 200 troops to Nigeria in February for training and technical support after conducting joint airstrikes with Nigerian forces in December. Most have since been withdrawn, although Washington continues intelligence sharing and wider security cooperation with Abuja, according to the US Africa Command.

The deployment followed the withdrawal of French and US forces from parts of the wider Sahel, which reduced Western intelligence and military capabilities as armed groups expanded across the region.

Despite new US involvement, attacks and mass abductions have continued. In May, Amnesty International said a Nigerian military airstrike on the crowded Tumfa market in Zamfara State killed at least 100 civilians, including women and girls. The military confirmed conducting a strike but disputed reports of civilian casualties.

Samuel Memeh, chairman of the opposition Democratic Leadership Alliance, told RT last month that the US deployment "has not yielded significant improvements" in Nigeria's security. He argued that foreign military assistance alone could not defeat the armed groups, saying that "local problems require local solutions."

RT / RT

(RT.com)