Gunmen have attacked the Shinkafi Market in Shinkafi local government area in Zamfara State, abducting dozens of people and injuring several others.
By Shehu Muhammad Shehu
This attack is coming two days after the notorious bandit, Bello Turji threatened to launch fresh attacks on the community.
Residents in the community said the gunmen attacked while they were transacting commercial activities at the Shinkafi market on Thursday.
Speaking with BBC Hausa, one of the Shinkafi marketers, who did not reveal his name, said the bandits invaded the market in broad daylight and opened fire randomly.
He said that apart from dispersing the market, the bandits opened fire at a filling station one kilometer away from the market, killing two people on the spot and wounding many others.
The Marketer added that more than ten people were taken to the hospital saying that the local vigilantes were the only security outfit available to confront the bandits.
He added that the vigilantes they could not retaliate because the bandits were beyond their control.
Another resident, while soliciting government intervention, said, “We are currently living in fear. Everybody hides in their home due to the fear of what might happen,” adding that many marketers lost their properties.
BBC Hausa reported that the Zamfara State Police Command has yet to comment on the attack.
It would be recalled that last week, soldiers arrested a close associate of the bandits’ kingpin, Bello Turji, who said he was angered by the incident and would seek revenge.
In a related development, bandits attacked travelers on the Gusau to Talata Mafara road, killing one driver and abducting many others to the bush.
