Armed bandits attacked the headquarters of Maru Local Government of Zamfara State on Saturday night, killing a divisional police officer and two others.

The gunmen who in their numbers stormed Maru, shot sporadically, forcing residents to scamper for safety.

Upon getting the information of the attack, the Divisional Police Officer of the Local Government, Kazeem Raheem, mobilized his men and some local vigilantes to repel the bandits.

However, the DPO, a sergeant named Rabiu Bagobiri and one vigilante official identified as Shehu Chuka, were killed in the process in the counter offensive.

Zamfara State Police Command spokesperson, SP Mohammed Shehu while speaking with Channels Television on telephone said police authorities in the state are currently in Maru for an on-the-spot assessment.

“We are currently in Maru, I will get back to you when we returned to Gusau,” SP Shehu told our correspondent.

A source from the local government headquarters confirmed to Channels Television that an unspecified number of residents were also abducted in the attack.

“They abducted people, but no exact number so far, they are still searching for people that ran for their lives,” stated the source who chose to remain anonymous.

Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State is about 84kilometers to the state capital Gusau and is one local government area in the state highly troubled by bandits.

Bandits-ravaged communities like Dansadau, Malele, Mutumji, are all under this council.

Efforts to reach the Sole Administrator of the Local Government, Isah Dangulbi and the state Commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Dosara was not successful as their telephone numbers were switched off. (Channels TV)