Gunmen Kill Four Security Personnel, Abduct Bungudu Council Chairman, Family.

Gunmen suspected to be bandits have killed two policemen and two vigilantes during an attack on the residence of the Chairman of Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State, abducting the chairman and members of his family.

A resident who spoke to Daily Trust on condition of anonymity said the attackers overpowered the security personnel guarding the residence before abducting the council chairman, his wife and their children.

The source said the security personnel put up resistance but were overwhelmed by the superior firepower of the attackers.

“They killed two policemen and two vigilantes, including one volunteer vigilante who had been actively helping to protect the town from bandit attacks,” the resident said.

According to the source, security operatives who responded to the attack later rescued four or five of the chairman’s children during a pursuit, although the chairman was taken away by the gunmen.

“They kidnapped the chairman along with his wife and children, but security personnel later rescued some of the children. Unfortunately, the chairman was taken away,” he said.

The resident said reinforcements were deployed to the area but arrived after the attackers had already fled the scene.

“The security personnel tried their best, but by the time reinforcements got there, the bandits had already executed their plan and escaped,” he said.

He attributed the increasing attacks in the area to the sophisticated weapons allegedly used by the gunmen and the activities of informants suspected of providing intelligence to criminal groups.

“They don’t give any warning before attacking. They come heavily armed and in large numbers. Despite the efforts of security forces, they still managed to escape with the chairman,” the source said.

The resident called on the government and security agencies to strengthen security in Bungudu and other vulnerable communities across Zamfara State.

He said residents had joined security forces in resisting the attackers but were unable to match the firepower of the assailants.

Efforts to obtain official confirmation from the Zamfara State Police Command were unsuccessful, as calls and a text message sent to the command’s spokesperson, DSP Yazid Abubakar, were not answered as of the time of filing the report.