On Thursday, it was a terribly sorrowful black day for five communities in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State, as 100 bandits riding on motorcycles invaded them and shot 35 people dead.
The communities affected include Gudan-Baushi, Gidan-Adamu, Gudan-Maidawa, Tsauni, and Wari.
Zamfara Police Command’s spokesman, Mohammed Shehu said the police were unable to access the communities to confront the bandits because of the poor road network.
Reports reaching TopNaija confirmed that the bandits on arriving the communities opened fire on villagers and set their houses ablaze.
Shehu told Channels TV that the police personnel tried their best to reach the affected communities on receiving the information that the bandits were there but “unfortunately they could not reach the places because of the bad roads.”
According to him, the police were currently working tirelessly to bring the bandits to justice.
Hundreds of people have so far been killed in Zamfara as bandits stepped up attack on hapless villages without access roads.
They often sneaked into the forest before the police or the military would arrive.
The incident comes a few weeks after gunmen killed six policemen along Gusau/Sokoto Road, near Dogon Karfe in the Bakura Local Government Area.
Deadly attacks have raged across Zamfara state where bandits have thrived. Farming and herding communities in the state have long been terrorised by gangs who raid villages, stealing cattle and kidnapping residents for ransom.
In 2019, the state government entered a peace agreement with the gunmen. About 15 brand new Hilux vehicles and cash gifts were also given to leaders of different ‘repentant’ gangs of bandits by the governor in 2020.
But despite all these, communities in the state are still being attacked and residents kidnapped and/or killed.
