Bandits killed four people and abducted 150 others, including two babies aged six and eight months, in an attack on Dan Isa village, Kaura Namoda Local Government Area (LGA) of Zamfara State on Sunday.
The attack occurred just a week after 46 residents of Dogon Kade were released by bandits following the alleged payment of a N21 million ransom.
A resident of Dan Isa, whose wife and son were abducted, confirmed the incident to newsmen under anonymity. He reported that the bandits stormed the village around 3 pm on Sunday, operating for six hours.
According to him, the bandits arrived on about 150 motorbikes, each carrying three people, and began shooting sporadically, causing residents to flee for safety.
“My wife, Na’imah, and our six-month-old child, Sudais, were among the victims. My brother’s wife, Aisha, and her eight-month-old child were also abducted. Several women and children were taken during the attack,” he said.
Another resident, Muhammad Auwal (not his real name), recounted that Hajiya Rakiya, wife of Wamban Dan Isa, Alhaji Bello Halilu, was abducted, and other women were injured in Mr. Halilu’s house. Two wives of Wamban Dan Isa’s younger brother, Malama Luba and Malama Talatu, were also kidnapped, he added.
“I also learnt that Malam Musa Ajiya was among the people that escaped from the bandits but four women including his wife, Suwaiba, and the wife of Shafi’u, his younger brother, were all abducted in his residence,” he said.
Aminu Bello Dan Isa, another resident, said that the attack was carried out by a gang led by a notorious bandit called Alhaji Shehu Bagiwa. Though sources said Bagiwa did not participate in the heinous act directly, escaped women reported seeing his lieutenant, Aminu Baka-da-dadi, leading the operation.
“Some women who escaped returned with fractured legs and various injuries, having been beaten by the bandits in the bush before they managed to flee,” Dan Isa added.
The village has since been deserted, with residents relocating to places like Kasuwar Daji, Rawayya, Gyambarawa, and Gusau, due to fear of further attacks.
Dan Isa village has faced repeated bandit attacks over the past five years, resulting in numerous deaths and abductions. Residents appealed to the government for assistance, urging the deployment of soldiers to the area. They stressed the need to eliminate bandits, especially notorious ones such as Bagiwa and Baka-da-dadi.
“We need more security personnel around us; otherwise, we will not go back to the village,” Aminu Bello said. “Previously, we had soldiers in the village, but since they were taken to another place, the bandits returned to the area, attacking us almost all the time. The bandits are heartless and merciless human beings. Once they are eliminated, things will normalise in the area; they are our problem in this part of the state,” he said.
