Terrorist attacks in Katsina and Zamfara States on Saturday have left at least four people dead, with dozens more abducted, marking a resurgence of violence in the region.
In Zamfara, the attackers targeted motorists around Dogon Karfe on the Gusau – Talata Mafara highway, firing at vehicles passing through the area around 7:00 p.m.
The assailants, stationed on both sides of the highway, ambushed several vehicles, leaving passengers abducted and others injured.
Bello Saleh, a resident of Maru town near the attack site, provided an account of the incident, stating, “The terrorists stationed on both sides of the highway and once the first vehicle arrived, they opened fire from both sides of the road. About seven vehicles were involved. The wounded passengers were abandoned by the terrorists and they took away those that could walk. One of the wounded passengers we helped to convey to the hospital on my motorcycle continued shouting that his wife and child were abducted. We’ve taken at least seven people to the general hospital (Maru).”
The exact number of those abducted remains uncertain, as many passengers are believed to have been taken.
The police spokesperson in Zamfara State, Yazid Abubakar, did not respond to inquiries about the attack.
In Katsina State, terrorists targeted farmers from Dan Tsuntsu and Nahutawa in Batsari Local Government on Saturday morning.
The farmers, who were harvesting potatoes, were attacked around 10:00 a.m. According to sources, the farmers had adopted a strategy of going to the farm in large groups to mitigate the threat of attacks.
One source, who requested anonymity, recounted the incident, stating, “Yesterday, they went to plug out their potatoes, as we have a lot of potato farmers in the area when the terrorists surrounded and opened fire on them.” Four farmers were killed, including Sule Dan Tsuntsu, and several others were wounded. The attackers also abducted eight people.
The Katsina State Police Command confirmed the attack, with spokesperson Abubakar Sadik stating, “Yes, it’s true (the attack). Four people were killed while one person has been wounded.
Already, we’ve sent our operatives to rescue those abducted by the terrorists. Normalcy has since returned in the area.”
