By Sani Wilson Enemona
At least 50 persons have been feared dead after gunmen suspected to be bandits attacked three villages in Bakura Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
Daily Star Nigeria gathered that the gunmen attacked Sabon Garin Damri, Damri and Kalahe villages, around 2:30pm on Friday.
A former councilor of the area told newsmen that he was in the main town when the bandits entered Sabon Garin Damri.
“We suddenly saw people running towards us. Then we started hearing sporadic gunshots. I was miraculously saved”, he said.
According to him, the bandits carried out coordinated attacks on the villages before a joint security team confronted them.
Another resident, who identified himself as Mu’azu Damri, disclosed to reporters that the number of casualties would have been more had security agents not confronted the bandits.
“I’ll have to personally applaud them (security agents), though I believe they should have come earlier because if they came at the right time, they would have saved a lot of people.
But their arrival helped because the number would have been more than that,” he said.
He added that the intervention of the military forced the bandits to flee leaving behind the livestock, food items, and other things they had looted from residents.
While Damri said the bandits killed 48, people, multiple sources confirmed that the casualty was around 56.
“We counted 56 people,” the councillor said. “In Damri, only three people were killed; a girl and two other men but the remaining were all killed in Sabon Garin Damri and Kalahe. Some of them were not residents of the two communities. They were people who came from nearby villages to celebrate Eid El Fitr with their relatives” he said.
Another resident of Bakura Town, who identified himself as Usman Lauwali, also said 56 people were confirmed dead by residents of the three communities.
He said those who were wounded were receiving treatment at the General Hospital, Bakura.
A police officer who pleaded anonymity stated that they were aware of the situation.
“We’re aware but you can wait for an official statement. I know that a strong reinforcement has been sent to Bakura and Talata Mafara axis this morning. The CP may even visit the communities later,” he said.