Terrorists attack Zamfara community, kill five, burn houses

Terrorists killed five residents in a Sunday night attack on Dayau village in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State, residents told PREMIUM TIMES.

The terrorists burnt the victims and also burnt down several houses, shops and food silos in the village.

A resident, who only gave his name as Shamsu, said the terrorists spent about seven hours in the act.

“The terrorists came through the Kungurki axis on their motorcycles but were confronted by our vigilante members and members of the Community Protection Guards. They fought for over an hour, then the terrorists withdrew,’ Mtr Shamsu said over the telephone.

The terrorists withdrew and took a detour, attacking the village from another axis, according to the source.

He added that by the time the terrorists returned around 10:00 p.m,, the vigilante and CPG members had relaxed, believing that the terrorists had left for good.

Mr Shamsu said some of the terrorists started firing indiscriminately upon entering the village while the others burnt down shops and houses.

“Four houses were burnt down where the five people were killed. The terrorists burnt down our people to ashes. They also burnt down shops and food silos to further complicate life for us,” Mr Shamsu added.

Another resident, who asked not to be named, lamented the slow response of the military during the attacks.

“The village is not far from Kaura Namoda town and even Sbain Gari where there are soldiers and other security agents,” he said over the phone. “We made a lot of calls to them in Kaura, we tried our best but they did not come.”

The police spokesperson in Zamfara, Yazid Abubakar, could not be reached for comments. He has not responded to a call and a text message sent to him as of the time of this report.

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Terrorists in the North-west, popularly referred to as bandits, have been attacking communities, schools, and motorists for over a decade; leading to the death and displacement of millions of people.

The terrorists also impose levies on some rural communities before residents are allowed access to their farms.