Terrorists have unleashed a fresh wave of coordinated attacks on several communities in Zamfara State, leaving residents in panic as abductions, looting, and mass displacement intensify.
Within the last 48 hours, gunmen stormed Yan Uku in Garbadu Ward, Talata Mafara Local Government Area, before extending assaults to neighbouring villages, including Farin Dutse. Witnesses say residents were abducted and properties carted away as terrified villagers fled their homes in droves.
One resident disclosed that his elder brother, Muhammadu Lakada, was kidnapped around 8 p.m. on Tuesday, shortly after returning from the market. “This is the second time in a year he has been taken. They abducted him last year around this same period,” the source said.
According to him, the attackers also seized Lakada’s son and a neighbour, Lauwali, before releasing the boy with instructions to return later with a phone number. He added that Lakada had been robbed by the same group days earlier, losing his shoes, cap, and new clothes before his eventual abduction.
By Wednesday evening, the gunmen struck again in broad daylight, raiding Farin Dutse and nearby communities at about 5 p.m. and taking more villagers into the bush.
“Most people have already fled. I was called by someone who saw bandits moving into surrounding villages. Many families won’t sleep in their homes tonight,” another resident told reporters.
Locals say the absence of security personnel has emboldened the terrorists, who now operate unhindered, leaving communities to live as internally displaced persons within their own state.
Efforts to reach Zamfara State Police Command spokesperson, Yezid Abubakar, were unsuccessful as calls and messages went unanswered at the time of filing this report.
