Terrorists Kill 18 Farmers, Abduct Nursing Mothers In Zamfara

Terrorists killed 18 farmers and abducted nursing mothers in separate attacks on Dangulbi and Kango villages in Maru Local Government Area (LGA) of Zamfara State, Northwest Nigeria. 

These attacks took place between July 10 and 11, 2022, respectively.

HumAngle gathered that those killed by the gang include Lawal Yusuf, Basiru D/Bakwai, Murtala D/Bakwai, Ashiru Sulaiman, and Dayyabu Adamu. Others are Sufiyanu Sani, 15, and Kamalu Sani, 18.

“My wife, Meri Ummaru along with four other nursing mothers from Saran Gumawa of Gummi local government were kidnapped by the gang,” said Ummaru Jikan Baura, 57, village head of Kurfa. “They were forced to drop their babies at home while they [terrorists] went away with the nursing mothers.”

During the raid, the gang ransacked houses in search of slaughtered rams due to the Sallah celebration.  

“The separate attacks were perpetrated by Damina, a terror leader and his boys. He asked our people to pay N2 million as a permit to cultivate our farms.” Shehu Galma, a victim of the attack told HumAngle. 

“All the 18 corpses identified in the aftermath were buried on Monday.

“In early June, we had a truce with them [terrorists] to open an embargo on our roads from Dangulbi to Magami and to Gusau, a 100 kilometers away from the capital city of the state that remained closed for more than a year.”

Galma said that incessant attacks has forced some of the poor and unemployed youths from villages to become informants for the terrorists.

“In fact, closing the roads by the armed marauders for 14 months now has necessitated our people to cover over 213 km, instead of 45 km, to be able to pass through Kebbi State before reaching Gusau, the Zamfara State capital,” Rabiu Dangulbi, 47, another resident, explained.

Another local, Yusuf Abdullahi, added: “That mast you are seeing has been there for almost five years but the Zamfara Government refused to connect us with the telecommunications network. We are using a mini solar powered network that only allows calls and messages to report attacks on our communities.”

Lately, villages such as Jabaka, Ruwan Doruwa, Kanoma, Danmarke Dansadau, Malele among others in Maru LGA have sufferred from a series of attacks.

This is happening despite the directive by Zamfara State Government to residents to own guns for self-defence.

When contacted, Mohammed Shehu, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), referred HumAngle to the Divisional Police Officer of the attacked village. “I am on transit now. I will contact our sources to know the reality of the situation,” he said.