Despite the ongoing offensive against them, terror bandits have continued their invasion and sustained attacks on communities in Zurmi and Shinkafi Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Zamfara State, killing residents and burning houses.
Sources confirmed that the terrorists recently razed down the family house of the Speaker of Zamfara State House of Assembly, Nasiru Magarya, at Magarya community, Zurmi LGA.
In addition, residents who have fled the communities because of the raids by the terror bandits, said at least seven people were killed in Shinkafi LGA in the last seven days.
Among those killed were a former Councillor for Jangeru Ward, Shinkafi, Abubakar Mai-Sallah who was assassinated at his residence in Jangeru town, last week.
Sources also stated that on Tuesday, at about 8 a.m., the terrorists blocked the Shinkafi-Gusau highway, killing Sunusi Bala, a businessman traveling to Gusau and his relative, Hamdan Alhazai.
The source noted that Bala was driving his vehicle when he was gunned down around Moriki town, 20 kilometres from Shinkafi.
Another source confirmed that the bandits also attacked Tungar Kado and Katuru communities, killing five persons.
The bandits also on Tuesday burnt down a vehicle taking grains from Shinkafi to Gusau. The vehicle had run into a blockade by the bandits on the highway, but many of its passengers escaped with gunshot injuries, sources said.
Residents said while the military offensive against the armed bandits may be successful in other areas, the impact has not been felt in the Zurmi and Shinkafi axis.
Zurmi and Shinkafi LGAs and Dansadausu district in Maru LGA are among the worst hit by banditry in Zamfara State.
The chairperson, Committee on Security and Prosecution of Bandits in Zamfara State, Abdullahi Shinkafi, confirmed that bandits set ablaze the Speaker’s residence in Magarya town, adding that many other residents were affected in the massive burning of houses in Zurmi.
Mr Shinkafi, who said he had visited the affected communities to assess the security situation, said the government also wanted to provide support for victims and deploy more security operatives to protect the people.
Meanwhile, Governor Bello Matawalle told BBC Hausa Service that at least 100 ‘bandits’ informants’ were arrested following the network ban and the military offensive in the state.
Mr Matatwalle said following the security operations, residents were again conducting their daily businesses without fear of being kidnapped.
The Governor said the shutdown of telecommunications services across the state has drastically reduced kidnap incidents as most of the bandits relied on informants.
Mr Matawalle also said many armed bandits had also been killed in the forests. He, however, said the security forces are yet to clear many bandits enclaves in the state.
The Governor added that more security forces were being deployed to the state to comb the forests.