Over 40 Abducted in Zamfara communities in series of attacks

Bandits operating in Zamfara State have reportedly abducted over 40 individuals from communities in Maru Local Government Area during a series of attacks over the past two weeks.

A resident of Maru town, Alhaji Umar Abdullahi, disclosed in a telephone interview on Thursday that the situation has created widespread fear and instability in the area. He explained that the bandits have intensified their attacks, targeting both the local government headquarters and surrounding communities.

“Just last week, the bandits stormed our town, conducting house-to-house searches, starting from the Emir’s palace area, and kidnapped seven individuals,” Abdullahi stated.

He attributed the growing frequency of attacks to informants within the communities who collaborate with the bandits. “Our main problem is the presence of informants. Most of those kidnapped are prominent members of our community,” he said, adding that the number of victims held captive in bandit camps has now exceeded 40.

According to Abdullahi, the armed groups are operating from camps situated behind Bakalori Dam, also known as Bayan Ruwa, in Maradun Local Government Area. “Many bandits are relocating to the Maradun camp, and this has worsened the situation. Authorities must act urgently to dismantle these camps and restore peace,” he urged.

Another resident, Usman Abubakar, painted an even grimmer picture of the situation, describing Maru Local Government Area as a “colony of banditry.” He stated that the bandits have expanded their operations from Dansadau, which was previously the epicenter of violence, to nearly all parts of the state.

“When this crisis started more than a decade ago, Dansadau bore the brunt. Now, no part of Maru Local Government is safe,” he lamented.

Abubakar called on both federal and state governments to deploy additional security forces to tackle the menace, particularly in the Bayan Ruwa camp.

A few months ago, Maru town witnessed the killing of several police officers, including a Divisional Police Officer (DPO), during a bandit attack. Attempts to get a response from the Zamfara State Police Command regarding the ongoing situation were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.