Tension in Zamfara As Bandits Attack Top Politician, Burn Down Zamfara Speaker’s House

Tension in Zamfara As Bandits Attack Top Politician, Burn Down Zamfara Speaker’s House.

Despite the reported ongoing onslaught by the Nigerian military on the hideouts of bandits in the northeast, bandits seem to be growing in strength judging by how they’ve been attacking some high-profile targets – from politicians to military bases.

With reports that the military action has resulted in the killing of hundreds of bandits and the destruction of their hideouts and operations and logistics bases, it would have been expected that bandits will be very much weakened by now. Weakened so much that they shouldn’t be able to execute attacks on soft targets talkless of carrying out attacks on high profile politicians and military bases.

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Bandits Attack Zamfara Speaker’s House

Bandits have set the home of the Speaker of Zamfara State House of Assembly, Nasiru Muazu Magarya, and other residents ablaze in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

Chairman of the Committee on Security and Prosecution of Bandits in Zamfara State, Abdullahi Shinkafi, confirmed the incident on Monday.

He said the bandits invaded the community and set ablaze some houses including that of the speaker.

According to him, this was coming as a result of the ongoing onslaught by the military in Zurmi Local Government Area of the state.

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The Chairman of the committee, who visited the affected community to assess the security situation, said the government also wanted to provide support for victims and deploy more security operatives to protect the people.

Even though, he did not disclose whether lives were lost during the invasion by the bandits, he, however, said two suppliers of foodstuffs, petrol and other commodities to the bandits were arrested.

He said the suspects used boats to convey the products from Sokoto through Issa Local Council to the bandits in Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

The two foodstuffs and petrol suppliers have been handed over to the police for further investigation and prosecution, he added.

Bandits Earlier Kidnaps Father Of Zamfara Speaker

Before burning the house of the Zamfara Speaker in the recent attack, bandits had in August kidnapped his biological father.

The bandits also kidnapped the Speaker’s stepmother, uncle, and four others in a raid on his community.

Salihu Zurmi, a lawmaker representing Zurmi West in the state assembly, who confirmed the incident to Daily Trust, said that the armed men invaded the community on Wednesday evening, August 4.

“This is the fourth time they are attacking the community, the first one they killed some people while during the second assault they torched residential houses and carted away cows and other domestic animals,” he said.

Also confirming the abduction, the Director-General, Press Affairs of the state House of Assembly Mustapha Jafaru Kaura, said that they would soon issue a press statement on the issue.

“I’m right now with the Honourable Speaker, we will issue a statement, give us some time please,” Mustapha said.

Bandits Attack Nigeria Military Base

Last weekend, armed bandits carried out a successful attack on a Nigerian military base in Zamfara State, leaving at least 12 officers dead.

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According to Premium Times, those familiar with the attack confirmed that at least 12 personnel were confirmed dead while three were wounded in the attack on forwarding Operating Base in Mutumji, Dansadau Local Government of Zamfara State.

The sad incident comes amidst a heightened offensive by security forces against bandits in the North-west region of Nigeria.

Scores of bandits were reportedly killed and many arrested in several operations which necessitated the shutdown of telephone networks in Zamfara and some parts of neighbouring Katsina State.

The latest attack on the military base, according to sources, left a casualty of nine Air Force, two police, and one Nigerian Army personnel.

All slain personnel was evacuated to Yerima Bakura Specialist Hospital in Gusau and the three wounded have been receiving treatments at a brigade medical facility, officials said.

The bandits also carted away weapons and other equipment from the slain security personnel while also setting the base ablaze.

Defence spokesperson, Benjamin Sawyer, a major general, was not available for comments on the incident Sunday night.

However, a source at Defence Headquarters said, “Operation is ongoing in that area and there is total shut down of GSM communications.

“Our troops are consolidating on successes recorded so far. Information on ongoing operations will be premature at this stage.

“Let us all join voices in ensuring our troops once and for all deal with the menace of insecurity in the Northwest and Northcentral. They need not be distracted for now.”

Bandits Down Military Fighter Jet

Recall that last month, bandits shut down a Nigerian Air Force jet, forcing the pilot to eject before the fighter jet went up in flames as it hit the forest.

The aircraft, which was being used to attack locations where the criminals are taking refuge, came under intense enemy fire by the bandits which brought it down.

The Nigerian Air Force, however, said there was no casualty as the pilot escaped unhurt.

That incident made it at least four air crashes involving Nigerian military planes in the last seven months.

Bandits Invade Military Camp In Niger State

While bandits attacked the Zamfara military base, bandits trying to escape the ongoing military operation in Zamfara and Katsina states met their waterloo in the hands of soldiers at Maganda village near Alawa in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.

The bandits, who were said to be escaping through the notorious Allawa Forest in their hundreds, ran into the military camp stationed at Alawa, and engaged the soldiers in a serious gun battle for several hours.

It was gathered that one soldier was reported missing at the end of the gun battle.

It was also learned that scores of the bandits were neutralized and several others escaped into the forest with bullets injuries.

It was also gathered that the bandits who escaped with serious bullets wounds are trailed by the soldiers as the entire forest is being combed.

About six machine guns and a number of AK-47 rifles and bags of ammunition were recovered from the bandits.

A source at Allawa community said, “In fact from the dead bodies that we saw, they look like foreigners, all of them are carrying long hair like women. They don’t have a resemblance to Nigerians and they don’t know the terrain that was why they ran into the soldiers. They did not know that there is soldier camp there.”

Bandits had in April invaded the Military Base in Alawa, and killed five soldiers and a mobile policeman.

The entire military camp was razed by the armed bandits who invaded the base about 3:00 am when soldiers had just returned to their base from an area patrol.

After the invasion of the military base, the bandits moved to the community where they killed seven people and abducted a number of villagers.

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