Bandits attacked Sakiddar Magaji and Janbako communities of the Maradun Local Government Area in Zamfara State, killing no fewer than 10 persons and abducting no fewer than 30 girls.
A survivor told the BBC Hausa Service in an interview monitored on Sunday, that one of the abducted girls who managed to escape from captivity, returned with only her head scarf.
The terrorists attacked Sakkida and Jambako communities on Saturday afternoon, and killed several villagers at Sakkida, with many injured.
According to a villager who survived the attack: “We woke up peacefully, there was rain and some locals had prepared to go to the farm. Suddenly there was report that the terrorists have attacked a neighboring village, Sakkida.”
The local vigilante, JTF called the people of Janbako and sought help. Our volunteers and other community members took up arms and. headed to the village.
“There was a hill before you reach the village. Not knowing that the terrorists had laid ambush behind the hills, they opened fire on our people. Today in Jambako, 22 people were buried.”
“Security operatives were called but they replied that they cannot be able to come immediately because their armoured personnel carrier was not on the ground. They only had Hilux. The security operatives tried, they chased the terrorists. When they came back, they came with motorcycles that belonged to the terrorists,” he alleged.
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“Many people were injured, some were shot, others were hit with machetes. In Janbako, there was no any security operative stationed there to provide security,” he alleged.
Another local told journalists that girls were abducted in Gora village while picking fuel wood in the bush at Daggera, adding that last week the terrorists killed 3 locals and abducted another 3.
Now they’ve abducted our girls, over 30. They send a message that this year if we want to cultivate our farms in Daggera, we must have a truce with them. We’ve been doing that with them, we can’t even count the number of times we entered into such agreement. We don’t know what to do,” he said.
He alleged that security operatives were yet to go on search and rescue of the abducted Zamfara girls.
In reaction to the latest attack, the Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal condemned the attack on the two communities in the Maradun local government area of the State.
He described the attack as barbaric and unprovoked aggression against innocent people, adding that his administration will not fold its arms and allow criminal elements to unleash terror without repercussions.
“The unfortunate incident came at a time when his government is working hard toward strategizing on how to bring an end to the protracted security problem in the state,” Lawal said in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mustapha Jafaru.
“A directive has been issued to the Heads of security Agencies in the state to as a matter of urgency deploy more security personnel to the affected communities to forestall further destruction of lives and properties in the area.”
While condoling with the families of those that lost their loved ones, the Governor sympathized with the people injured in the attack and prayed to God to grant rest to those who lost their lives.
