Bandits kill 22, including four soldiers, impose N50m levy

At least 22 people, including four soldiers, have been killed in a bandits’ ambush in Zamfara State, while more than 300 residents have reportedly been displaced by separate attacks on three villages.

The attackers also reportedly imposed a N50m levy on communities in the Dansadau axis after burning 12 vehicles and sacking the villages.

The attacks occurred along the Gwashi-Nasarawa road in Bukkuyum Local Government Area and in the Dansadau axis, raising fresh concerns over the worsening security situation in the state.

The member representing Bukkuyum Constituency in the Zamfara State House of Assembly, Hamisu Faru, confirmed the ambush.

Faru said the victims were attacked on Sunday while soldiers were on duty in the area.

He added that the bodies of some of the victims had yet to be recovered as of press time.

The Information Officer of Operation Fansan Yamma, Lt. Col. Aliyu Danja, also confirmed the military casualties in an interview with LEADERSHIP on Monday.

In a separate attack in the Dansadau axis, the bandits reportedly displaced more than 300 residents from three villages.

They also set 12 vehicles ablaze and imposed a N50m levy on the affected communities.

The latest incidents have triggered condemnation from the Zamfara State chapter of the National Democratic Congress, which described the security situation as deteriorating.

In a statement issued on Sunday and signed by its Publicity Secretary, Kassim Almustapha Kayatawa, the party mourned the victims, including the slain soldiers.

“The NDC Zamfara State chapter, under the leadership of Alhaji Surajo Garba Maikatako, condemns in strong terms the barbaric attacks in Dansadau and Bukkuyum and mourns the victims,” the statement said.

The party called on the Federal Government and the Zamfara State Government to urgently deploy additional security personnel to vulnerable communities in Dansadau, Bukkuyum and other flashpoints.

It also demanded a comprehensive strategy to tackle banditry and prevent further killings, displacement and destruction of property.

The NDC further criticised Governor Dauda Lawal over his reported trip to Ethiopia as the state mourned the victims.

The party urged the governor to cut short the visit and return to address the worsening security challenges.

“While the people are being attacked, the governor is said to be in Ethiopia as part of a federal government delegation. We call on him to cut short the trip and return to address the security challenges,” it said.

The party also urged security agencies to intensify operations to restore peace and protect lives and property.

Efforts to obtain a reaction from the Zamfara State Police Command were unsuccessful as of press time.