17 Farmers Killed in Nigeria Village Attack

At least 17 farmers were killed in an attack by armed gangs on a village in northwestern Nigeria, according to local officials.

Gunmen riding motorcycles opened fire on residents in Tungar Baure village in Zamfara State on Friday, killing 17 people and abducting an unspecified number of others.

The attack comes as criminal gangs, locally known as bandits, intensify raids on farming communities during the rainy season, targeting villages that refuse to pay extortion demands. Local authorities say inadequate security has left many communities vulnerable to repeated assaults.

The violence occurred in the constituency of Defense Minister Bello Mohammed Matawalle, who previously pledged to deploy 2,000 troops to combat armed groups in the region.

Recurring attacks have forced many farmers to abandon their land, raising concerns over food security in Africa's most populous country. The International Monetary Fund has warned that escalating insecurity could worsen poverty and hunger across Nigeria.