Gusau — Armed robbers attacked Kabaru village in Zamfara State Monday night, shooting dead 18 people including the traditional ruler, the latest in series of deadly raids in Maru local government area.
The attack came two weeks after a similar one on Dogon Dawa village in Kaduna State, where 24 people were shot dead by robbers trying to rescue captured colleagues.
Residents of Kabaru, which is in Dansadau emirate that has seen similar violence in the past, said dozens of gunmen stormed the village late Monday night firing from different directions.
The bandits were believed to have struck thinking that there was a lot of cash in the village following the sales of farm produce and livestock ahead of Eid el-Kabir celebrations.
When they laid siege, the robbers told people to remain indoors and keep their monies and other valuables within reach.
The village head, Alhaji Maiyara, pleaded with the robbers not to kill anyone but they shot him instead.
“He was killed as he begged them not to kill anyone. The robbers warned him to keep off but he insisted, so they shot him,” a local said.
Witnesses said the robbers also pursued people who tried to escape and shot them dead.
“They killed people who tried to escape too,” said Sani Abdullahi, one of the survivors.
Haruna Kabir, another survivor, told Daily Trust he heard gun shots from far away and he escaped into the bushes along with his wife and three children.
“We had already escaped before they arrived. We dashed into the bush and hid when we heard sounds of gunfire. We could hear the screaming of the people from where we hid,” he said.
Many survivors of the attack fled their homes as the state police commissioner and acting governor Ibrahim Wakkala Muhammad visited the village to assess the damage.
The Police authorities yesterday confirmed the violence, saying investigations had started.
Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of zone 10 comprising Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi states, Alhaji Mohammed Jinjiri Abubakar, told Daily Trust the armed robbers attacked Kabaru around 11pm on Monday.