JUST IN: 2 feared killed, 40 abducted as bandits attack defence minister’s hometown, details emerge

• Bandits have reportedly attacked Janboka community, the hometown of the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle
• Residents disclosed to the press that bandits attacked the community on Saturday, killed two people and abducted 40 others, mostly women and children
• The police spokesperson in Zamfara State, Yazeed Abubakar, is yet to release an official statement regarding the attack

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

Armed men suspected to be bandits attacked the hometown of the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle on Saturday night, September 28, killed two persons and and kidnapped 40 people.

Bandits strike in Minister of State for Defence Muhammed Bello Matawalle's hometown. Photo credit: Ministry of Defence
Source: Facebook

Residents disclosed to the press that the abducted persons in the incident at Janboka, a community in the Maradun local government area of Zamfara state, are mostly women and children.

As reported by PremiumTimes, the latest attack came a week after the terrorists released 10 abducted persons after collecting a N10 million ransom, residents said.

One of the residents, Ibrahim Haru, said the terrorists shot indiscriminately as they entered the community.

Mr Haru said a headcount conducted after daybreak on Sunday, September 29, showed about 40 residents were missing.

He identified the persons killed as Malam Isah and a teenage boy, adding that they were killed while fleeing from the attack.

Speaking further, Haru noted that the terrorists struck despite the presence of local security guards in the community, lamenting that attacks in the Maradun local council area were becoming frequent.

Maradun is the hometown of the Minister of State for Defence, Mr Matawalle, who is the immediate past governor of the state.

The police spokesperson in Zamfara state, Yazeed Abubakar, told PremiumTimes that he was yet to be briefed about the development.

Read more about Matawalle, bandit attack here:

• Cleric mentions politicians, other reasons behind continued insecurity in Zamfara
• Tinubu’s minister explains why he’s being accused of sponsoring banditry
• Tension as bandits attack popular churches in Kaduna, kill 3, abduct 30

Lawal vs Matawalle: DHQ told to prosecute bandit sponsors

In a related development, Legit.ng reported that the Patriots for the Advancement of Peace and Social Development (PAPSD) has urged the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) to prosecute anyone found guilty of sponsoring bandits in Nigeria’s north-western region.

Sani Shinkafi, executive director of PAPSD, praised the military’s ongoing investigations into bandit sponsorship, calling the probe “long overdue.”

The allegations have heightened tensions between high-profile figures, including Bello Matawalle and Dauda Lawal, who have openly accused each other of complicity in the region’s security crisis.

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Source: Legit.ng