Crime
57 killed by bandits in Zamfara, Governor tells residents to defend themselves
Not fewer than 57 persons were killed in a fresh attack unleashed by cattle rustlers on residents of Magarya ward, Kadawa community, Zurmi Local Government Area, Zamfara State between Thursday evening and the early hours of Friday.
A resident of the community disclosed that the cattle rustlers killed only men with no intention to hurt women and children.
A source, who revealed that no soul was abducted by the invaders, said that they carted away cattle whose number could not be ascertained at the time of filing this report.
After the attack in Kadawa, the rustlers went through a number of villages including Jinkirawa, rustling cows without killing anyone.
The source added that all the shops within the perimeter of the criminals were looted, leaving only the ones in secluded area.
“All of us have deserted our communities for fear of another attack. We cannot even bury the dead in our community. We are taking the corpses in security personnel’s vehicles to the emir’s palace in Zurmi,” he said.
Already, the state’s Commissioner of Police has visited the area.
The Public Relations Officer of Zamfara State Police Command, Muhammad Shehu, a Superintendent of Police, could not be reached for comments as several calls made to his phone went unanswered.
Although he later sent a text message saying that he would call later, he was yet to do so at press time.
In a similar vein, the Zamfara State governor, Bello Muhammad Matawalle, has called on the people of the state not to fold their arms and watch their loved ones killed but find ways to defend themselves.
The governor rescinded his directive last year suspending the activities of the local vigilante group operating in the state because of the escalating cases of banditry.
The governor, who gave the order during prayer at the state Ed ground to mark his second year in office yesterday, had on assumption of his administration initiated peace moves which resulted in many disarmament processes.
Governor Matawalle, while giving the directive, said: “We must allow our people to defend themselves and their respective domains whenever these dreaded groups of recalcitrant bandits attempt to attack them.”
He described as callous and inhuman the bandits’ attacks on various communities in the state, adding that his administration would continue to give necessary support to the federal government in its fight against banditry in the entire Northeast
