AT least 23 farmers have reportedly been killed after armed bandits attacked Sauna/Ruwan Gora community in Talata Mafara Local Government Area of Zamfara State, in one of the latest deadly assaults on farming communities in the state.
News Point Nigeria reports that residents said the attackers initially passed through the community at about 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday without harming anyone, before returning about an hour later to launch a deadly attack on farmers working on their farmlands.
A resident, who spoke to this newspaper on condition of anonymity, said villagers watched as the armed men rode through the community without incident, with some residents even counting the number of motorcycles conveying the attackers.
“The bandits passed through our village around 2:00 p.m. without harming anybody. People were even counting the number of motorcycles conveying them,” the resident said.
He explained that the attackers later returned and opened fire on farmers on their respective farmlands, pursuing those who attempted to flee before killing them.
“They killed 23 people. They attacked them on their respective farms, pursued those who ran for safety and killed them,” he said.
According to the source, preparations were underway on Thursday for the mass burial of the victims.
“We have prepared the bodies of the 23 victims for a mass burial today,” he added.
The residents appealed to Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, and the Federal Government to urgently strengthen security in the area to safeguard lives and property.
They warned that the continued killings and abductions of farmers could have severe consequences for food production in the state.
“If farmers continue to be killed and kidnapped, Zamfara State will definitely experience a food crisis,” the resident warned.
Another resident, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, claimed the death toll could be as high as 25, noting that efforts were still ongoing to establish the exact number of casualties.
“The bandits returned and attacked the village around 3:00 p.m. yesterday. We are still compiling and tracing those who lost their lives,” he said.
Efforts to obtain official reactions from the authorities were unsuccessful.
The Chairman of Talata Mafara Local Government Area, Hon. Yahaya Abubakar Yari, could not be reached, as his telephone line was switched off despite repeated calls and messages sent via WhatsApp and SMS.
Similarly, the spokesperson for the Zamfara State Police Command, DSP Yazid Abubakar, did not respond to calls or text messages as of the time this report was filed.