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

Fatima says her husband and six of his siblings were killed when bandits attacked "If you ran into a room, they set the room on fire," says Fatima, describing a recent attack on her village in Zamfara, north-western Nigeria. "If you came out and started running, they shot you." The gunmen, who struck at 02:00, split into groups to surround residents: one at the village entrance, one in the centre and one at the back. "They opened fire without a care in the world, shooting indiscriminately," the 55-year-old quietly tells the BBC World Service. It was one of many attacks that have caused havoc in the mainly Muslim community where residents live in fear of being kidnapped for ransom. Fatima explains how the raids unfold: "You could have 100 motorcycles, and each one could be carrying three people." About 70 people, including children, were killed from the village of Bia Buki in June, according to Fatima. She describes how the attackers also targeted villagers as they fled and children were injured falling into ditches.

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