Fear and panic have gripped parts of Zamfara State after a series of coordinated assaults forced villagers to flee their homes within the last 48 hours.
The renewed onslaught, which began in Yan Uku community of Garbadu Ward, Talata Mafara Local Government Area, quickly spread to neighbouring settlements, including Farin Dutse, leaving residents displaced and traumatized.
Coordinated Night Attacks
Eyewitnesses told reporters that armed men moved from village to village, abducting locals and looting valuables without encountering resistance. The attackers, believed to be part of a notorious bandit group operating in the region, reportedly struck under the cover of darkness and returned in the afternoon the following day.
One of the latest victims, Muhammadu Lakada, was seized on Tuesday around 8 p.m. shortly after returning from the market. His son and a neighbour identified as Lauwali were also captured during the raid. According to family members, this marks the second time in less than a year that Lakada has been kidnapped.
Although his son was released hours later, he was sent back with a chilling instruction: deliver a specific phone number to the family. Relatives fear this is a ploy to establish direct communication with the kidnappers for ransom negotiations.
Lakada’s ordeal has been prolonged and brutal. Just days earlier, the same armed gang reportedly robbed him, stripped him of his clothes, and carted away his belongings before returning to abduct him again.
Fear Grips Villagers
Survivors recounted that the bandits returned to the area on Wednesday at about 5 p.m., launching another round of abductions and dragging more villagers into the surrounding forests.
“The majority of the community has already left,” one resident said. “I received a call warning that bandits had been sighted in nearby villages, so many people abandoned their homes. Tonight, very few will sleep in their houses.”
The wave of displacement has left once-bustling settlements deserted, with residents scattered to neighbouring towns and internally displaced persons’ camps for safety.
Weak Security Presence
Despite repeated attacks, locals lament that security presence in the affected areas remains minimal. Survivors disclosed that even after Wednesday’s incident, no significant reinforcement was visible, leaving those who remain vulnerable to further raids.
Zamfara, one of the states worst hit by banditry in northern Nigeria, has in recent years witnessed mass abductions, killings, and forced displacements, with rural communities bearing the brunt of the violence. Analysts warn that the lack of decisive security intervention continues to embolden the attackers, leaving innocent villagers to pay the price.
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