Mass kidnappings hit northern Nigeria as dozens of women and farmers seized
Around 40 women were abducted in Yargada and at least 47 farmers were taken in Mariga, highlighting a surge in large-scale kidnappings in northern Nigeria.
Security officials said roughly 40 women were seized in Yargada on 27 September, while at least 47 farmers were abducted in Mariga the day before, underscoring an alarming rise in mass kidnappings across northern Nigeria. A report by SBM Intelligence indicates that 7,825 people have been taken by local bandits and jihadist outfits between July 2025 and June 2026. In Mariga, armed men interrupted peanut harvesting and forced the captives into the woods, a raid that security analysts attribute to the notorious warlord Dogo Gide.
SBM analyst Ayomide Akinwale said the kidnappings are retaliatory, aimed at punishing villagers who cannot meet the “tax” imposed by bandits during harvest time. Failure to pay, he warned, can lead to land destruction or further mass abductions to deter farming. The twin attacks illustrate the expanding reach of armed groups in Nigeria’s northern states.
