Twelve members of the same family have been killed after suspected bandits set their residence ablaze during an attack on Gidan Taba village in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The attack reportedly occurred in the early hours of Sunday in Dosara Birnin Kaya Ward, when armed men invaded the community, killing the family members and abducting several other residents.
According to residents, the victims belonged to the family of one Mallam Muhammadu Sani, who reportedly gathered his family members in a single room in an attempt to protect them from being abducted.
An indigene of the community, Mohammed Sama, told PUNCH that the attackers discovered the family members hiding inside the room and ordered them to open the door.
However, when the occupants refused to comply, the gunmen reportedly set the room on fire, killing all 12 people trapped inside.
Sama described the incident as devastating, explaining that the victims had sought refuge in the room because they feared being taken away by the attackers.
He said several other residents were also abducted during the invasion, although the exact number of those taken away was not immediately established.
The Maradun Local Government Chairman, Sanusi Ahmed Dosara, confirmed the incident, describing the killings as heartbreaking and inhumane.
Dosara, who led funeral prayers for the deceased on Sunday morning, said the victims included a father, his wives and young children.
He explained that the victims died from the intense heat generated after the attackers set the room ablaze.
According to him, local vigilantes engaged the bandits in a gun battle and reportedly succeeded in securing the release of some abducted residents.
However, he said the number of people initially taken away remained uncertain due to the tension surrounding the attack.
The chairman also disclosed that the attackers adopted diversionary tactics by shooting sporadically in different directions to confuse security personnel and conceal their movements.
Meanwhile, residents expressed concern over the security situation in the community, questioning the response of security agencies despite the presence of military and police facilities in the area.
They called on the Federal Government, Zamfara State Government and security agencies to strengthen security operations and protect vulnerable communities against repeated attacks.
The incident occurred amid renewed security challenges across parts of Zamfara State, where armed groups have continued to attack rural communities, abduct residents and disrupt normal activities.
As of the time of filing this report, conflicting accounts had emerged regarding the death toll, with the Zamfara State Police Command reportedly confirming 11 deaths, while the local government chairman and several residents maintained that 12 family members died in the attack.
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