No fewer than 26 travellers were kidnapped on Tuesday by terrorists, locally dubbed as bandits, who blocked the Gusau-Sokoto highway in the North-West region of Nigeria.

This was confirmed by a resident of one of the communities close to the scene of the attack during a conversation with journalists.

It was learnt that the terrorists blocked the road around Kwaren Kirya village under Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State and abducted all the passengers from a Toyota 18-seater bus and a Volkswagen golf vehicle.

“As I’m talking to you now, about 30 minutes ago, these bandits blocked another side of the road. They cleared the passengers of an 18 seater bus and a golf, the situation is worrisome because it has become an everyday thing for these people to be blocking the road,” the source was quoted by Channels TV.

He voiced the alarm about a village, Balge along the highway, claiming that it harbours suspected bandits.

The source urged the authorities to set up security stations in the area to monitor the criminals' actions.

He continued: “There is a village when you pass that Kwaren Kirya called Balge, about 80% of settlers in that village are bandits.”

“There was a time they were chased out of the place but a majority of the people there were bandits. We just need government to help us and station military around the area.”

Police authorities in the state are yet to comment on the latest incident.