The night raid left 10 people dead (Stock)

Motorbike-riding gunmen have left 10 people dead and kidnapped around 40 others in a horrific night-time terror attack.

The gang stormed a village in Nigeria on Sunday, shooting residents, stealing livestock and later fleeing on bikes. Community and security sources have stated between 38 and 40 people were kidnapped during the chaos.

Around 50 gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles launched the raid at the Tofa in Rabah County, in the latest in a long spree of kidnappings and armed attacks to hit Nigeria.

Hauwau Zayyanu, whose husband was kidnapped, is begging the government for help. She said: “My husband was taken from our home around 1 am. They came in large numbers on motorcycles and started shooting. We have not heard from him. We are begging government to help us. We have no money for ransom,” Truth Nigeria reports.

Around 50 gunmen launched the attack on the community (Stock)

Bilya Abu, whose brother was kidnapped, has spoken of the chaos the gang caused during the night raid. He said: “They killed 10 people including Malam Muhammadu and Musa Dan Agaji, and took my brother Bilya. The attackers also took all the cows. We are hiding in Sabon Birni now.”

Alhaji Lawali Tofa, Ward Head of Tofa community, said: “The attackers numbering over 50 came around 1 am on Sunday night on motorcycles. They shot sporadically for about four hours. They killed at least 10 people and took between 38 and 40 residents.”

He added: “They were carrying AK-47 rifles. They rustled cattle and looted foodstuff before leaving toward the forest.”

The Head of Tofa added: “There was no prior warning. The nearest police post is in Rabah town, more than 30 km away. By the time security came, they were gone.”

The group responsible for the attack have not been identified yet by authorities. Security experts have stated the armed gunmen used methods similar to those used by several armed groups in northwest Nigeria. The use of motorcycles, night attacks, automatic weapons, kidnapping and stealing livestock have become a common tactic for raids launched by these armed groups.

Former Director of Operations, Colonel Hassan Garba, said there is a surveillance issue which allowed the horrific night raid to occur.

He said: “The Sokoto-Zamfara border is not a line on a map for these groups. It is a movement route. They move from forest areas in Zamfara through Isa, Sabon Birni and into Rabah because the terrain gives them cover and the villages give them resources.

“When you can enter Tofa at 1 am, operate for four hours, and exit with 40 people and cattle toward the bush, it means you know the gaps. There is a surveillance problem, there are limited rapid response capabilities, and the forests are difficult to monitor.”

Garba added: “Once pressured in Zamfara, they shift into Sokoto; when pressured in Sokoto, they return to Zamfara. Without joint patrols, real-time intelligence and stronger forest presence, this movement pattern will continue. Tofa is a symptom.”