Despite ongoing peace talks between community leaders and bandit leaders aimed at curbing escalating banditry in Zamfara, a traditional ruler was slain when armed men invaded Dogon Daji village in the state.
In addition to killing the village head, the gunmen, suspected to be bandits, disrupted traffic along the Tsafe-Gusau highway, abducting dozens of people during the attack.
According to sources, the village head was killed after he refused to comply with the armed bandits’ demands when they invaded his residence.
He was reportedly slain for refusing to be taken captive by the men, who stormed the community in large numbers.
Two local residents, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, said the killing had left the community in shock.
“He was a father figure and a symbol of our identity. His death is painful and shows that no one is safe anymore,” one of them lamented.
A security analyst, Bakatsine, who confirmed the incident yesterday, stated that the attack was yet another reminder of the fragility of ongoing peace agreements in parts of the North-West.
He noted that recent deals with armed groups had only “shifted the violence from one community to another without addressing the root causes.”
Meanwhile, the state police command had not issued an official statement regarding the incident as of the time of filing this report.
