Zamfara State was thrown into mourning on Friday after armed bandits reportedly killed no fewer than 50 residents of Dutsin Ɗan-Ajiya village in Anka local government area.
Bodies of the victims, wrapped in white shrouds, were lined up for mass burial in a video. Residents said the attackers, wielding sophisticated weapons, stormed the community on Thursday night and unleashed hours of terror.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said the gunmen sealed off all access roads to prevent villagers from fleeing before opening fire indiscriminately. “After blocking all the roads, the bandits started to shoot at sight and the villagers ran helter-skelter. After the attack, we realised that 30 people were killed; some were wounded, while several others are at large and nobody knows their whereabouts”, he stated.
However, Reuters quoted a lawmaker representing Bukkuyum-South, Hamisu Faru, as saying at least 50 people were killed. According to Faru, the attackers invaded the village around 5 p.m. on Thursday, and continued the onslaught until about 3:30 a.m. on Friday, burning buildings and shooting residents attempting to escape. “They have been moving from one village to another … leaving at least 50 people dead”, he said.
A 41-year-old resident, Abdullahi Sani, disclosed that three members of his family were killed. “No one slept yesterday, we are all in pain,” he lamented, adding that villagers had alerted security operatives and local authorities after spotting over 150 motorcycles conveying the gunmen, but claimed no help came.
Efforts to reach the Zamfara State Police spokesperson, Yazid Abubakar, were unsuccessful as calls and text messages went unanswered as of press time. An aide to the governor also promised to respond, but had yet to do so when this report was filed.
The attack occurred barely 24 hours after the Zamfara State Government donated Armoured Personnel Carriers and a drone to security agencies, in order to intensify the fight against banditry.
Zamfara remains one of several North-West states grappling with relentless bandit attacks despite sustained military operations.
