Rampaging bandits yesterday killed 25 at Dole Moriki village in Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara State. This was in addition to 114 people, among them an Army officer and two policemen earlier killed in sustained attacks on villages of Maru, Maradun and Shinkafi local government areas of the state.

A member of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Yusuf Moriki, representing Shinkafi West told our correspondent in a telephone interview yesterday that hundreds of bandits invaded Dole Moriki village and shot at people indiscriminately.

The lawmaker said the gunmen killed 25 people and injured several others who were rushed to the General Hospital for treatment. He said: “As I am talking to you now, we have finished the burial of the people that were killed by the bandits today (yesterday).”

Earlier, the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Dan Awunah, had said that nine people, including two policemen, were killed yesterday. By Friday, it was learnt that 46 people, among them a police inspector, had been kidnapped.

The gunmen ambushed the security operatives trailing them after the kidnap and killed two mobile policemen at Kambo and Lingyado villages in Maru Local Government Area.

Also on Friday, the bandits were reported to have attacked two villages of Galadi town in Shinkafi Local Government Area and Tsibiri village in Maradun Local Government area were they killed 18 people and set many houses ablaze.

Also in Maradun and Shinkafi local government areas, another group of bandits launched vicious attacks on Friday and Saturday on Galadi, Zazzaka, Dole, Sabon-Gida and Kaya villages where they killed scores of people and set several houses ablaze.

A witness, Alhaji Usman Garba, of Shanawa village in Shinkafi Local Government, told our correspondent on the telephone that thousands of people from various villages in the local government had started fleeing to Shinkafi town.

He said: “As I am talking to you now, several casualties have been recorded particularly among women, children and old people as more than 114 people have been killed including one Army officer by the bandits.

“They killed 41 people at Galadi village, 32 at Tubali, seven at Zazzaka, 10 at Sabon Gida, four at Dolen Moriki, while at Kayan Maradun they murdered 20 people. The victims have already been buried at their various home towns according to Islamic rites.”

Confirming the killings, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Shehu Muhammad, said investigation was on to gather information on the attacks.

He added that already police and Army joint task operation team had been deployed in the areas to track down the criminals.

•Text courtesy of News Telegraph. Photo shows IGP Ibrahim Idris.

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