Twelve members of the same family have died after armed men reportedly set their room on fire during an attack on Gidan Taba village in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
Several other residents were also abducted during the raid on Saturday night in Dosara Birnin Kaya Ward, although the number of those taken away remains unknown.
According to Daily Trust, the victims belonged to the family of Mallam Muhammadu Sani.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the family had locked themselves inside a room to avoid being kidnapped.
The attackers reportedly discovered their hiding place and ordered them to open the door. When they refused, the assailants set the room ablaze.
Maradun Local Government Chairman, Hon. Sanusi Ahmed Dosara, confirmed the incident and described it as heartbreaking. He also led funeral prayers for the deceased on Sunday.
“Really, what occurred in Gidan Taba village is heartbreaking and disheartening. A father, his wives and small children, 12 of them, were all killed by fire,” Dosara said.
He explained that the victims died from the intense heat after the attackers set the room on fire.
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“The bandits set the room ablaze. They were not burnt because the fire engulfed the roofing, but the horrible heat resulted in their death,” he narrated.
Dosara said local vigilantes rescued some of the abducted residents after confronting the attackers in a gun battle.
“It has been confirmed to me by one of the vigilantes that the bandits abducted people, but they blocked them and secured the release of some after an exchange of gunfire,” he said.
He added that the exact number of abductees had yet to be established because of tension in the community.
The chairman also alleged that the attackers fired sporadically in different directions to confuse security personnel.
“They used disguise tactics of shooting sporadically in different directions, which confused security,” the chairman said.
Dosara said he had visited the nearest police mobile base to discuss measures to strengthen security in the area.
The victims were buried on Sunday morning in accordance with Islamic rites. Residents have called on the state government and security agencies to intensify efforts to protect communities in the area.