Suspected armed bandits have killed at least 8 people in an attack on Malele community in Dansadau district, Maru local government area of Zamfara state, Daily Trust gathered.
Residents said the gunmen invaded the village, located 10km west of Dansadau town, firing shots at people indiscriminately.
However, the dwellers of the community who got the wind of the attack responded to the fire and they were able to stop the attackers from penetrating the community.
“There was a heavy fighting between the residents of the community and the attackers and even those killed by the bandits were those trying to escape the carnage because they had no courage to confront the assailants. The armed men then made away with herds of cows and fled,” a resident Yau Muhammad told Daily Trust.
Similarly, suspected gunmen have attacked Babban Kwari in the district and killed about 5 people there.
Our reporter learnt that the gunmen also torched about 17 motorbikes, a number of trucks, shops and residential houses in the area.
It was also gathered that they had earlier intercepted a truck heading to Gusau from Dansadau town killing the driver and two other persons on board. The injured ones are receiving treatments in a medical facility in Dansadau town, residents said.
When contacted, the state Commissioner for Security and Home Affairs, Alhaji Abubakar Dauran, gave the number of those killed as seven.
He said troops had quickly responded to the attacks and are currently conducting operation in the area.
The commissioner, who blamed the renewed attacks on bandits that crossed into Zamfara state from the neighbouring Kaduna and Niger states, said they are fighting themselves, noting that very soon, the situation would be brought under control.