Bandits kill at least 17 in shooting in Nigeria

Boko Haram insurgents have attacked Makalama, a village in Gatamwarwa ward, Chibok local government area of Borno state.

Makalama is about 21 kilometers away from Chibok town. The police in Zamfara have confirmed 17 people killed in an attack by armed bandits on a community in the state.

“They came in this night through the nearby deserted Gogumdi village,” a Chibok resident said.

“They started shooting and people have been running to the bushes. Our troops here at 117 task force battalion are getting set to move in now,” he added.

The attack occurred in Magami Village, Faru District of Maradun Local Government Area. Nigerian troops rallied to flush out Boko Haram ragtag forces in Guzamala A statement by the Zamfara police spokesperson, Muhammed Shehu, said the attack occurred on Saturday evening.

The Acting Governor of Zamfara State, Sanusi Rikiji; the police commissioner and other heads of security agencies were at the scene in the early hours of Sunday.

Rikiji on Sunday attended the funeral prayer of some of the victims killed by the bandits. Rikiji, who is the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, condoled with the families of the victims and people of Maradun Emirate and described the incident as unfortunate and worrisome.

He said the state government was concerned about security matters. “It is very disturbing, so distracting the way our people are being killed by terrorists.

He urged security operatives in the state to maximize their efforts in tackling the challenges.

Rikiji noted that the state government had been providing all necessary support to security agencies in the state.

“We are ever ready to continue to offer any support to security agencies, at whatever cost, in order to address the current security situation in the state,” he said.

He urged people of the state to continue with prayers to seek Allah’s interventions to end the situation.

The acting governor also appealed to communities to provide information on security to security agencies for prompt response.

The heads of security agencies in the state were also in attendance during the prayers.

In their separate remarks, the Emir of Maradun, Garba Tambari, and Chairman Maradun Local Government Area, Yahaya Shehu, called for the deployment of more security personnel in the area. Hundreds of people have been killed by armed bandits in Zamfara in 2018.

The killings have continued despite the deployment of thousands of security personnel including soldiers as well as air force personnel and equipment to the state.