Bandits have reportedly killed at least 23 farmers in Sauna/Ruwan Gora community, Talata Mafara Local Government Area (LGA) of Zamfara State.
A resident, who spoke to Daily Trust on condition of anonymity, said the bandits initially passed through the village at about 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday without attacking anyone.
“The bandits passed through our village around 2:00 p.m. without harming anybody. People were even counting the number of motorcycles conveying them,” the resident said.
He explained that the attackers later returned and opened fire on farmers working on their.
“They killed 23 people. They attacked them on their respective farms, pursued those who ran for safety and killed them,” he said.
According to the source, preparations were underway for a mass burial of the 23 victims on Thursday.
“We have prepared the bodies of the 23 victims for a mass burial today,” he added.
The residents appealed to Governor Dauda Lawal and the Federal Government to urgently strengthen security in the area to protect lives and property.
“If farmers continue to be killed and kidnapped, Zamfara State will definitely experience a food crisis,” the resident warned.
Another resident, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, claimed the death toll could be as high as 25, saying efforts were still ongoing to determine the exact number of casualties.
“The bandits returned and attacked the village around 3:00 p.m. yesterday. We are still compiling and tracing those who lost their lives,” he said.
Efforts to obtain an official reaction were unsuccessful. The Chairman of Talata Mafara Local Government Area, Hon. Yahaya Abubakar Yari, could not be reached, as his phone was switched off despite calls and messages sent via WhatsApp and SMS.
Similarly, the Zamfara State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Yazid Abubakar, did not respond to calls or text messages as of the time this report was filed
