Panic and grief have gripped Banga village in Kurya Madaro District, Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State, following a brutal midnight attack by armed bandits on Wednesday.
The assault, which occurred around 1:30 AM, saw heavily armed men invade the village under the cover of darkness, opening fire on sleeping residents and abducting scores. Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos as families fled into the night, many leaving behind loved ones who were either killed or taken captive.
While the exact number of casualties and abductees is still being confirmed, sources on the ground report a significant loss of life and widespread fear among the survivors.
Security expert and counter-insurgency analyst, Zagazola Makama, who broke news of the incident on his X handle, confirmed that security forces are mobilizing to the area in response to the attack.
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Authorities are yet to release an official statement, but local vigilante groups and emergency responders are said to be combing the area in search of the missing and attending to survivors.
As Banga mourns its dead and counts the missing, the attack adds to the growing list of communities in Zamfara devastated by the unrelenting wave of banditry in Nigeria’s northwest.