Tragedy struck in Tsafe town, Zamfara State, as bandits invaded a market on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of at least three people.

Eyewitnesses recounted the terrifying ordeal, with one witness telling Channels TV, “The bandits entered around 11 a.m. and started shooting indiscriminately towards the people at the market.”

Confirming the incident, ASP Yazid Abubakar, the spokesperson for the Zamfara State Police Command, acknowledged the attack but couldn’t provide exact casualty figures. However, he assured that security forces, including the military and police, had responded swiftly, restoring calm to the area.

Abubakar stated, “Yes, there was an incident this morning in Tsafe, the bandits entered the town, and there were casualties, but I can’t confirm the figures now… what I can confirm to you now is that the military and the police engaged the terrorists in a gun battle and the area is calm now.”

Residents reported that troops from Operation Hadarin Daji engaged the bandits in a shootout, forcing them to retreat.

This tragic incident comes on the heels of another attack where gunmen killed Musa Ille, the secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party in Tsafe Local Government Area. The assailants struck his residence around 8:30 pm on Monday.

Meanwhile, in a surprising turn of events, a viral video surfaced showing bandits, led by Garba Habeeb, calling for peace talks with Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal. The bandits expressed willingness to negotiate with the state government.