Bandits Kill Nine, Kidnap 53 In Zamfara Community

Nine persons have been killed while 27 others were kidnapped as bandits stormed Makera village of Talata-Mafara Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

An indigene of the area, Mohammed Garba, told the Punch on Tuesday that the bandits in large number, invaded the village around 9pm on Monday, February 19, 2024,  while shooting indiscriminately to scare away residents.

According to Garba, the bandits were in the village for several hours where they went from house to house and abducted 53 people.

He stressed that nine people who tried to escape the abduction were killed on the spot.

“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.

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

Garba maintained that his four children were among those abducted by the bandits.

He said that the bandits have yet to reach out to the community for ransom.

He expressed disgust over the issue, calling on the state government to do something urgent to protect the lives and property of the people of the area.

According to him, residents of the community were trying their best to protect themselves, lamenting that, the bandits came to the village in large numbers.

"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.”

The victims were laid to rest on Wednesday.