Gunmen kidnap at least 50 people in northwestern Nigeria

Associated Press

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Armed men kidnapped dozens of people in northwestern Nigeria, residents and the police told The Associated Press on Tuesday, in the latest mass abduction in the region. The gunmen abducted at least 50 people, including several women and children in the Maradun area of the state of Zamfara over the weekend, residents said. Kidnappings have become common in parts of northwestern Nigeria, where dozens of armed groups take advantage of a limited security presence to carry out attacks on villages and along major roads. Most victims are released only after the payment of ransoms that sometimes run into the thousands of dollars.