Crime
Gunmen attack travellers, abduct dozens in Zamfara
On Monday evening, a group of gunmen, suspected to be bandits, launched a brutal assault along the Tsafe-Funtua road in Zamfara State, resulting in multiple fatalities and abductions.
Eyewitness accounts report that the incident unfolded around 6 p.m. near Kucheri village in Tsafe Local Government Area, where armed assailants ambushed several vehicles, indiscriminately opening fire and compelling some motorists to stop.
“I saw them attacking from the bushes as we approached the village,” recounted Abubakar Ibrahim, a survivor of the attack.
“They were shooting at anything that moved. Many people tried to escape, but there were too many gunmen.” Reports indicate that several travelers were killed, while others were forcefully taken by the attackers.
In a related incident earlier that day, bandits targeted farmers returning home from their fields and motorcyclists along the highway in Bukkuyum Local Government Area, abducting 36 individuals, including women and children.
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Local residents described a chaotic scene as the bandits descended on unsuspecting villagers. “They came out of nowhere and started rounding people up,” said Fatima Abubakar, a local farmer who managed to escape.
Later that same day, the situation worsened as bandits stormed Maidumma village after the Juma’at prayer session, abducting an additional 33 men and women, including mosque officials.
Eyewitnesses reported that the attackers struck swiftly, taking advantage of the crowded setting as worshippers left the mosque.
Despite efforts by local security forces to repel the attackers, they were unable to rescue the victims, as the gunmen swiftly retreated into the dense forests surrounding the area.
“We called for help, but by the time security arrived, the bandits had already fled with our people,” lamented a village elder, who requested anonymity.
These harrowing incidents underscore the escalating insecurity plaguing Zamfara State, raising alarm among residents and prompting urgent calls for enhanced security measures from both local and federal authorities.
Community leaders are now demanding increased patrols and more robust action to protect the vulnerable populations in the region.