Gunmen have abducted more than 50 women and children during a pre-dawn raid on Saturday in Kakin-Dawa, a community located in the hometown of Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle.

Eyewitness accounts reveal that the bandits arrived on motorcycles around 1:30 a.m. and systematically conducted a house-to-house search, targeting predominantly women and children in the Gidan Goga district of Maradun Local Government Area.

Hassan Ya'u, a local resident whose younger sister was among those kidnapped, described the terrifying incident. "The gunmen went from house to house, picking up residents," he said. Ya'u emphasized the urgency of the situation, calling on both federal and state governments to deploy additional security personnel to combat the escalating bandit activity.

The local police spokesperson, Yazeed Abubakar, was unable to provide immediate details, citing communication network challenges.

This latest incident follows a similar attack in September, when bandits abducted over 40 people from Janboka, another community in the same local government area. Residents have expressed growing frustration, noting that these attacks persist despite the presence of local security guards.

The targeted area is particularly significant as it is the hometown of Bello Matawalle, who previously served as the state's governor before becoming the Minister of State for Defence.

The ongoing security challenges highlight the persistent threat of banditry in the state in particular and the Northwest in general, raising serious concerns about the safety of local communities.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​