Gunmen kill 11 relatives of security volunteer in northwest Nigeria, abduct 13

Gunmen killed a local security volunteer and 10 of his relatives, burned their ​bodies, torched their home and abducted 13 ‌others in a weekend attack on a village in northwestern Nigeria's Zamfara state, police said on Monday.

Many ​northwestern states in Nigeria have groups ​of volunteers who help defend villages and ⁠towns from armed gangs, as the security forces ​are stretched fighting Islamist militants and the gangs, ​known as bandits.

Police spokesperson Yazid Abubakar said the gunmen attacked the volunteer in Gidan Taba in Maradun district, ​after he repeatedly helped security forces fend ​off incursions by criminal gangs into the community

"They considered ‌him ⁠an obstacle to their activities," Abubakar said.

According to Abubakar, the attackers killed the man, a member of a government-backed vigilante group, before murdering ​10 other ​members of ⁠his family and setting their house on fire.

Abubakar said security forces have ​been deployed in the area and ​are ⁠working to secure the hostages' release.

Northwest Nigeria has for years faced attacks by the bandits, who ⁠raid ​villages, kill residents, abduct people ​for ransom and loot homes.

Reuters