By Musa Muhammad Rabiu
In an overnight attack in Zamfara State, northwestern Nigeria, gunmen killed about 50 people and abducted many others, including women and children.
The incident began on Thursday, 19 February 2026, and continued into the following morning, when the terrorists stormed Tungan Dutse village in Bukkuyum Local Government Area on motorcycles, setting homes ablaze.
One resident, Abdullahi Sani, 41, said they alerted security forces after spotting more than 150 motorcycles carrying armed men earlier that day, but no intervention came.
Sani, whose family members were among the victims, noted that the community barely slept that night. “No one slept yesterday; we are all in pain,” he said.
The attack was officially confirmed by Hamisu Faru, a member of the Zamfara State House of Assembly representing Bukkuyum South, on Saturday.
In a press statement, he said the exact number of abducted persons remains unknown, as many families continue to report missing relatives.
Local officials are still receiving reports of missing persons.