'If you started running, they shot you' - inside Nigeria's growing kidnapping crisis

A recent attack in a village in Zamfara, north-western Nigeria, highlights the escalating kidnapping crisis in the region. Fatima, a 55-year-old resident, recounted how the attackers set her village on fire the moment she stepped out of her home to run away, and then proceeded to shoot her indiscriminately. This attack, one of many in the area, resulted in the deaths of about 70 people, including Fatima's husband and six of his seven siblings, in June alone.

The attackers typically arrive in groups of 100 motorcycles, each carrying three people. They split up and surround the village residents, firing their weapons without restraint. In addition to killing, they also target fleeing villagers, injuring children who stumble into ditches. Fatima and her family managed to hide in the nearby forest before eventually moving to the capital, Gusau, in search of safety.

The security situation in the area has worsened, with the number of incidents recorded by the international conflict monitoring group Acled rising by 78% in the first half of the year compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, Nigeria's National Human Rights Commission reports that kidnappings across the country have doubled over the same period.

The attackers, mostly from the Fulani ethnic group, have shifted from cattle trading to kidnapping and extortion, seeing it as a more lucrative and less risky way to make money.

The violence affects communities regardless of their background or beliefs. In recent months, schools in previously relatively safe regions have also become targets of kidnappings, with gunmen abducting children for ransom. Despite occasional assistance from good Samaritans, food remains scarce, and families are reduced to begging.