Suspected herders on Saturday abducted a woman and her husband on their farm in the Barkin Abdullahi community, Lafia Local Council of Nasarawa State.

A witness, James Ovey, told The Guardian that the attackers chopped off the woman’s left wrist and inflicted a machete wound on her husband’s head after grazing their cattle on the couple’s farmland. The victims, who reportedly attempted to stop the herders, were overpowered and taken away. They are now receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in Lafia, the state capital.

In a separate incident, Mr Yusuf Agbo Nobaga reported the abduction of his wife in Giza, Keana Local Council. Sources said gunmen invaded the community at about 11:45 p.m. on Friday, firing sporadically before taking Mr Nobaga and his wife to an unknown location.

A resident of Giza, who requested anonymity, said the attack had caused panic among locals. “Nothing has been heard from them since yesterday night. We hope they are safe because there was much shooting. We are living in fear right now. People are even moving out of the community for fear of further attack. We have resolved to taking the challenge to God in prayers as all attempts to end the incessant abduction and killing has failed us,” the resident said.

Several communities in Keana have faced repeated attacks by unidentified gunmen in the past three weeks.

The Nasarawa State government has assured residents that new security measures will be introduced to tackle rising insecurity and deal decisively with perpetrators.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Ramhan Nansel, said the latest abduction in Barkin Abdullahi had not been reported to the police. He urged residents to promptly report cases of kidnapping and to notify security agencies of suspicious persons or movements in their areas.