Terror bands of bandits have embarked on economic sabotage in Zamfara State, Northwest Nigeria, cutting off fuel supply to Dansadau town and other neighbouring communities after they intercepted and set ablaze a tanker conveying fuel to the area along the Gusau-Dansadau road.
The fuel tanker was among dozens of other vehicles that was being escorted to Dansadau on Tuesday by security operatives on board an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) when suddenly the bandits emerged from the bush and opened fire on the tanker, triggering huge flames.
The owner of the tanker, Alhaji Yau Muhammad Dansadau, said the vehicle was conveying fuel from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) depot, Gusau to the Dansadau fuel station in the community as part of efforts to alleviate the acute fuel shortage following the closure of other filing stations.
According to Alhaji Dansadau, “the whereabouts of the driver and one other person onboard the vehicle is unknown. They may be kidnapped. The fear is that there is going to be acute shortage of fuel very soon. Motorcycles, vehicles and other machines using petrol will soon stop.
“As I am told, the fuel tanker was not only the vehicle attacked, several other motorists jumped out of their vehicles and scampered to safety despite the fact that the attackers were engaged in a firefight by the police escort.
“No vehicle can ply that road without escort. Dozens of people especially local traders and commercial drivers have been killed or kidnapped along that 100 km road that is in a very terrible condition.
“The attack is precisely occurring at a very dangerous spot called Mashayar Zaki just few kilometers to reach Dansadau. The armed men are lurking around the area to attack every moving vehicle.”
The bandits had vowed to cut off supply of essential commodities to Dansadau after they were put under intense pressure following closure of community markets and stoppage of supply chain for groceries, food and soft drinks to them in the forest.
In the past few months, the bandits have been particularly active in Dansadau, thereby triggering increased air and land operations by the Armed Forces of Nigeria in order to bring their activities to a stop.
Former Zamfara State Senator, Saidu Dansadau, said the bandits were scaling up attacks on Dansadau community to protest the suspension of Emir Hussaini Umar, who was suspended in June by the State government over allegations of involvement in banditry.
Dansadau, who represented Zamfara Central from 1999 to 2007, said that the spike in attacks on the community shows the suspended Emir was complicit in the attacks and cattle rustling by the bandits.
This week saw increasing tension in parts of Dansadau Emirate as a result of the emergence of a new armed group that has been confronting bandits. The new armed group members were spotted on motorbikes at Dandalla community last Friday.
