In a horrifying incident on Sunday night, bandits abducted 36 women from the Magizawa community in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The assailants, who reportedly overwhelmed local vigilantes and security personnel, killed three individuals, including a vigilante leader, and wounded two others during the invasion.
The police are yet to provide detailed information about the attack, as stated by Zamfara Police spokesperson ASP Yazid Abubakar in a statement to journalists.
Surviving vigilante members shared their account of the attack, describing how the bandits took control of the community, going house to house and forcing the residents, predominantly women, into the bush.
“They abducted about 50, 36 were women. We tried to fight them, but they took us unaware and got mixed up with members of the community. In the process, they killed one of our bravest members and 2 others; they also injured 2 others. They broke into houses that were locked and abducted locals. They also held others roaming in the village at night,” explained a vigilante who survived the attack.
The incident highlights the escalating security challenges in Zamfara State, where banditry and kidnapping have become prevalent, causing immense distress and fear among the local population.