Bandits kill 7 vigilantes, abduct over 30 residents in Zamfara

Armed bandits have invaded Kaura Namoda town in Zamfara State, killing seven members of a local vigilante group and abducting dozens of residents.

The assailants reportedly operated for over three hours after infiltrating the community through a riverine route at midnight on Friday.

The Chairman of Kaura Namoda Local Government Area, Munnir Haidara, confirmed that the attackers struck the Kofar Zurmi and Old Market areas.

According to him seven members of the civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) paid the supreme sacrifice during a gun battle, while several others sustained injuries and are receiving treatment in hospitals.

According to reports gathered, the bandits bypassed the usual checkpoints guarded by the vigilantes. The armed bandits deployed sophisticated weapons, blocking all major access routes and engaging local forces in a gun battle.

The blockade prevented security personnel from advancing into the affected communities due to the ambush.

According to eyewitnesses, the attackers invaded the home of an Islamic teacher, where they killed a young boy and abducted the cleric’s children. While the council is still compiling data, it was estimated that over 30 residents were taken away into the forest.

“We don’t have the actual number of people abducted during yesterday’s attack…We are still gathering data, but we hope to get the exact figure between now and this evening”, Haidara.

Meanwhile, the local government has refuted claims that the community’s security architecture was compromised due to political activities.

Some residents had alleged that vigilantes and security personnel were transported to Kaduna State for President Bola Tinubu’s second-term campaign flag-off.

Meanwhile, Haidara dismissed the claims, explaining that only political supporters and party stakeholders travelled in the ten vehicles provided by the local government. He maintained that no member of the local security outfit was pulled from their duty posts.