Suspected bandits have reportedly killed at least 23 farmers in Sauna/Ruwan Gora community of Talata Mafara Local Government Area of Zamfara State in a fresh attack that has heightened fears over insecurity in the state.
Residents said the attackers struck on Wednesday afternoon after initially passing through the community without harming anyone.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told _Daily Trust_ that the bandits first rode through the village at about 2:00 p.m. without launching an attack.
“The bandits passed through our village around 2:00 p.m. without harming anybody. People were even counting the number of motorcycles conveying them,” the source said.
According to the resident, the gunmen later returned and opened fire on farmers working on their farmlands, chasing and killing those who attempted to escape.
“They killed 23 people. They attacked them on their respective farms, pursued those who ran for safety and killed them,” he added.
The source said preparations had begun for the mass burial of the victims.
“We have prepared the bodies of the 23 victims for a mass burial today,” he said.
Another resident, who also spoke anonymously, claimed the death toll could be as high as 25, noting that efforts were still ongoing to ascertain the exact number of casualties.
“The bandits returned and attacked the village around 3:00 p.m. yesterday. We are still compiling and tracing those who lost their lives,” the resident said.
The residents appealed to Governor Dauda Lawal and the Federal Government to deploy more security personnel to the area to curb recurring attacks and safeguard farming communities.
They warned that continued killings and kidnappings of farmers could worsen food insecurity in Zamfara and other parts of the country.
As of the time of filing this report, the Zamfara State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement on the incident or confirm the casualty figure.