Nigerian police in Zamfara has confirmed the killing of 23 persons in Tunga and Kabaje villages, Kaura-Namoda Local Government Area by suspected bandits on Tuesday.
Muhammed Shehu, Police Public Relations Officer in the state, informed NAN of the attack at Gusau.
“It is true that the bandits killed 23 persons in the attack,” he said. Police said peace has been restored in the affected areas after the killings. He added that a combined team of mobile and regular police together with the army and air force are on surveillance in the villages.
Receiving situation report from the villagers, NAN learned through the chairman of the local government, Lawal Isa, that bandits numbering over 100 riding on motorcycles invaded the communities when residents were going to their farms.
He said all the slaughtered villagers had been buried according to Islamic rites.
Isa said that the bandits may have come for after the killing of one of their suspected informants whose name he gave as Anas.
That unknown Anas, he said, was trailed by local vigilantes when he picked a wife and child of a suspected bandit at Angwan Sarki village to take them to the man in the bush on his motorcycle.
“The vigilantes blocked the rider and killed all three instantly on Monday,” Isa said. “And at about 5 am on Tuesday, the gang invaded the villages and killed 23 residents,” he said.
Isa appealed to security agencies to consider going to the identified hideouts of the bandits, especially at Gidan na Zumbure village “which now harbours the bandits and serve as their base for launching attacks.”
Zamfara state has been experiencing violence attacks from unknown bandits for months which has resulted in deaths in hundreds of deaths and injuries.
(NAN)