Bandits have killed no fewer than 40 people in attacks on five communities in Faru District of Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The attacks, which occurred on Thursday, are the latest in the series of deadly assaults on the state’s rural communities by armed men.
Villages ravaged by the bandits on Thursday include Gidan Baushi, Gidan Adamu, Tsauni, Gidan Maidawa and Wari.
According to residents, scores of unknown gunmen stormed the communities on motorcycles and fired sporadically at them.
The gunmen were said to have rustled cattle and other animals in a house-to-house search that lasted several hours.
A resident of the area, Haruna Halilu, said, “A lot of farmers were also trapped while working on their farms. The security operatives with help of local vigilantes are recovering the remains of the victims in the surrounding bushes and on farmlands.
“Some of the farmers had already gone to work on their farms unknown to them that armed men were lurking around the communities. They struck the communities and many of them were caught unaware. This is because some of them do carry guns with them to the farms.
“Preparations are underway to bury them in Faru community, which is relatively bigger. This is out of the fear that the armed criminals might return and attack those carrying out the funeral rite for the victims.”
State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Muhammad Shehu, was not available as of the time of filing this report.