By Suleiman Mustapha
Zamfara residents have engaged a gang of bandit that invaded their community with the intent to abduct locals, killing 37 of them.
The bandits were reportedly killed in Matusgi village, Talata Mafara Local Government Area of the State, after the residents decided to take up arms to defend themselves from the deadly bandits terrorizing their communities.
It was reported that the bandits arrived on motorbikes around 2 p.m. on Wednesday, aiming to carry out abductions.
The District Head of Matusgi, Alhaji Ciroma Muhammad, confirmed the incident, stating that three villagers were killed during the clash. He noted that neighbouring villages reported seeing the bandits transporting the bodies of their fallen comrades on motorbikes.
According to the district head, “This is the 13th time bandits have attacked this village. “Three weeks ago, the bandits kidnapped 23 people, mostly women. They carried out the operation quietly, without firing any shots until after they had left. We only became aware of their departure when they fired a few shots in the distance.”
He added that the bandits had demanded a ransom of N150,000 per person. After payment, only seven of the abducted women were released, with the remaining hostages still in captivity.
