Zamfara: Bandits abduct local govt chair, kill four securitymen

Residents of Bungudu Local Government Area in Zamfara State were left in mourning on Friday night after suspected bandits killed four security personnel and abducted the council chairman.

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Residents told PREMIUM TIMES that the incident occurred around 11:40 p.m. when the council chairman, Nura Abdullahi, was abducted from Bungudu town alongside two other residents.

Jamilu Bungudu, a media aide to the federal lawmaker representing the Bungudu/Maru Constituency, Abdulmalik Zubairu, stated that the assailants invaded the chairman’s official residence. They abducted Mr Abdullahi alongside Halliru Soja, a staff member of the Federal Medical Centre, Gusau, and Hussaini Naira, a POS operator.

Mr Bungudu said that during the attack, the gunmen killed four security personnel attached to the chairman before whisking him away.

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The victims were identified as Inspector Basiru Lawal, police constable Hamza Muhammad, and two vigilantes, Nura ADC and Ibrahim Baare. Additionally, Bello Abdullahi, a former treasurer in the state Ministry of Finance, sustained injuries during the raid.

Efforts to reach the Zamfara State Police spokesperson, Yazid Abubakar, for official comment were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.

Bungudu LGA, located about 21 kilometres from the state capital, Gusau, is frequently targeted by bandits who kidnap for ransom and attack security outposts.

In April, armed bandits riding more than 50 motorcycles invaded Yarkatsinan Laka, a village in the area. They attacked a local security outpost and a clinic, killing two police officers, two health workers, and a patient.

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While security forces have intensified counter-operations in the region, including in May when the police killed two bandits while repelling an attack in the Nahuce District of Bungudu, the violence continues. During follow-up operations along local transport corridors, such as the Bilbis–Kuncin Kalgo route, specialised police units detected and safely detonated pressure-plate Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) planted by bandits to target patrols and civilians.

Bungudu’s rural communities have come under repeated attacks. In Karakkai and Gwargwabe, bandits have burnt down houses, killed residents, and destroyed dozens of food storage silos, exacerbating the region’s humanitarian and food security challenges.