At least 26 people have been abducted following coordinated bandit attacks on two communities in Talata Mafara Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The incidents, confirmed by state and local government authorities, have heightened security concerns across the North-West region.
Chairman of Talata Mafara Local Government Council, Yahaya Abubakar, disclosed to the BBC that the gunmen carried out two separate assaults.
He said the first attack occurred in Matuna village, where the assailants abducted three residents and killed one person.
“They later returned and attacked Tashar Kuturu village, where they abducted 23 people and shot one resident in the hand and leg. The victim has been taken to a hospital in Jangebe for treatment,” he said.
Residents reported that the attack on Tashar Kuturu took place late at night, with the gunmen firing shots indiscriminately to create panic.
According to eyewitness accounts, the attackers operated for about two hours without encountering resistance.
Abubakar further explained that the bandits arrived on motorcycles, heavily armed, and positioned a tripod-mounted gun in the middle of the road, firing it repeatedly to intimidate residents and compel compliance.
“They abducted men, women and children, some were taken on foot, others on motorcycles,” he added.
Talata Mafara Local Government Area remains one of the communities most affected by banditry in Zamfara State.
