MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, Aug 26 (Reuters) - At least 12 people have been kidnapped in two separate incidents in northern Nigeria, officials and witnesses said on Saturday. Those taken included the village head of Nasarawa-Burkullu community in Nigeria's northwestern Zamfara state, local official Muhammad Bukuyum said on Saturday. Bukuyum said the other victims were three local farmers, and that the assailants had demanded a ransom, without giving further details. In a separate incident, Boko Haram militants abducted eight farmers on Saturday in Maiwa village, about three kilometres from Maiduguri, the capital of Nigeria's northeastern Borno state. On Friday, Boko Haram freed 49 women kidnapped earlier in the week near Maiduguri after a state official paid a ransom for their release.

Source: The North Africa Journal August 27, 2023 11:33 UTC