Bandits operating in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State have attacked Yar Tashar Sahabi village, setting fire to 10 shops and stealing more than 30 cows.
According to residents the armed men stormed the community at dawn, setting shops ablaze, stealing livestock, and vandalizing vehicles in response to a deadly ambush on the bandits by local vigilantes and soldiers two days earlier.
“They came at dawn, torched our shops and vehicles, and made away with our animals,” a villager told The Guild.
A villager, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the attack is believed to have been triggered by an ambush on Sunday, during which the community’s vigilante group reportedly killed several armed bandits and recovered stolen cattle.
The operation was carried out with the support of security forces stationed in the nearby town of Magami, who quickly joined the vigilantes and successfully repelled the attackers before they could cause further harm.
However, the bandits were said to have been enraged by the joint operation, prompting them to return in large numbers yesterday to launch a retaliatory attack on the village, where they unleashed widespread destruction.
In the aftermath of the incident, the Zamfara State Police Command had yet to confirm the attack. When contacted, the command’s spokesperson, DSP Yazid Abubakar, said he was not aware of the development but promised to reach out to the divisional police officer in Maru.
As of the time of filing this report, the authorities had yet to provide any additional information regarding the incident.
