Some gunmen suspected to be bandits have attacked Rijiya village in Gusau Local Government Area of Zamfara State killing six people and abducting several others.
One Musa Sani, a resident of the village, who fled to Gusau town, said the bandits, who came on motorcycles, arrived at the village around 1.30pm on Sunday.
They reportedly shot sporadically at the villagers killing six.
Sani said that he was in the other part of the village when he heard gunshots and villagers shouting for help.
He said, “I was in the other part of the village when I heard gunshots and the screaming of the villagers. I quickly ran to a nearby farm where I hid until the bandits left the village.
“When they left the village, we discovered that they had shot and killed six people and wounded several others.
“They also abducted many women and children whose number is yet to be ascertained. I decided to leave the village to Gusau for fear that the bandits might return because this is not the first time the criminals are attacking us.”
The Police Public Relations Officer in the Command, Mohammed Shehu, could not be reached for comment at press time.
It was gathered that the bandits attacked people in other parts of the state despite the security measures taken by the state government to stop the menace.
Many farmers have abandoned their farmlands. They could not harvest their crops due to persistent attacks by the bandits.
Several villages were also said to have been deserted while a large number of internally displaced persons have relocated to Gusau where they begged for survival.
