Bandits Abduct 26, Burn Shops in Zamfara Community

By BANNERNEWS Reporter
Bandits on Monday launched a deadly attack on Tashar Kuturu community in Jangebe District of Talata Mafara Local Government Area of Zamfara State, abducting at least 26 persons, mostly women and children, and setting several shops ablaze.
The attack occurred between 1:00am and 3:00am when heavily armed bandits stormed the village, firing sporadically and causing residents to flee into the bush. Community sources said the attackers operated for nearly two hours and overpowered local security presence with superior firepower.
Chairman of Talata Mafara Local Government Area, Hon. Yahaya Abubakar Yari, confirmed that 23 persons were initially abducted from Tashar Kuturu, but one later escaped, leaving 22 currently in captivity. He added that the victims include women and children.
Yari also confirmed that the bandits shot a mentally unstable man in the legs and hands during the attack. The victim, he said, is presently receiving medical treatment.
Earlier, Chairman of Muryar Talata Mafara, Comrade Kabiru Jangebe, had given a higher preliminary figure, saying more than 40 persons, including nursing mothers and children, were missing after the attack. He explained that confusion arose as families fled and data was yet to be fully compiled.
An elderly community leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, later said a house-to-house search helped reconcile the figures, confirming that 22 persons remain missing from Tashar Kuturu, including five nursing mothers, while one young boy escaped from the abductors.
The bandits also looted and set ablaze several shops during the raid. Residents said at least nine shops were affected, including three major provision stores, with medicines, food items and mobile phones carted away.
Security sources said troops from nearby Anka responded to the distress call with armoured vehicles, forcing the bandits to retreat. However, the attackers reportedly split into groups and diverted security attention, allowing some of them to escape.
Meanwhile, Hon. Yari disclosed that the bandits had, a day earlier, attacked Matura village in Kagara District of the same local government area, where three persons were abducted and one killed, raising renewed concerns over escalating insecurity in the area.