Bandits Kill Nine, Abduct 53 In Zamfara Community

Bandits have killed nine persons and kidnapped 27 others in Makera village, Talata-Mafara Local Government Area, Zamfara State.

Mohammed Garba, an indigene of the area, told the Punch on Tuesday that the bandits stormed the village around 9 p.m. on Monday, February 19, 2024, shooting indiscriminately to scare locals away.

According to Garba, the bandits remained in the area for several hours, going from house to house and abducting 53 people.

He emphasised that nine people who attempted to flee the abduction were slain on the scene.

“We were about to go to bed when the bandits entered into our village and began to shoot indiscriminately as a result of which, many people escaped to the forest,” he said.

“Others who did not run to the forest hid in their houses but unfortunately, the bandits went from house to house and abducted 53 people according to the head count we conducted.

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“Similarly, the bandits also shot to death, nine people who wanted to run away or who refused to be abducted.”

Garba claimed that the criminals had taken his four children with them.

According to him, the criminals have not yet requested a ransom from the locals.

He called on the state administration to take immediate action to safeguard the lives and property of the local population, expressing anger over the situation.

He claimed that the villagers were doing everything they could to defend themselves and regretted that the gunmen were frequent visitors to the area.

“We were overpowered by the bandits who were in large numbers. We tried our best to chase away the bandits but because they came in hundreds, we were not able to defeat them.”

On Wednesday, the victims’ remains were laid to rest.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli