Armed bandits have killed 12 members of the same family after setting their room ablaze during a night attack on Gidan Taba village in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The attackers also abducted an unspecified number of residents during the Saturday night assault in Dosara Birnin Kaya Ward, where they reportedly targeted the family of a man identified as Mallam Muhammadu Sani.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity to Daily Trust, said the victims had locked themselves inside a room in an attempt to escape being kidnapped by the attackers.
However, after discovering their hiding place, the bandits reportedly ordered them to open the door. When the family refused, the attackers set the room on fire, leaving all 12 occupants dead.
The Maradun Local Government Chairman, Sanusi Ahmed Dosara, confirmed the incident to Daily Trust, describing it as heartbreaking and inhuman.
He also led funeral prayers for the deceased in Gidan Taba village on Sunday.
“Really, what occurred in Gidan Taba village is heartbreaking and disheartening. A father, his wives and small children, 12 of them, were all killed by fire,” Dosara said.
Explaining how the victims died, the chairman said they were overwhelmed by the intense heat after the attackers set their room ablaze.
“The bandits set the room ablaze. They were not burnt because the fire engulfed the roofing, but the horrible heat resulted in their death,” he narrated.
Dosara also confirmed that the attackers kidnapped several residents during the assault but said local vigilantes managed to rescue some of them after engaging the bandits in a gunfight.
“It has been confirmed to me by one of the vigilantes that the bandits abducted people, but they blocked them and secured the release of some after an exchange of gunfire,” he said.
However, the chairman said the exact number of abducted residents remained unknown due to the tension in the community.
“As of now, because the tension is high, we are yet to identify the actual number of people abducted, but later we will have the details,” he added.
He further explained that the attackers used sporadic gunfire in different directions to confuse security personnel and conceal their actual positions.
“They used disguise tactics of shooting sporadically in different directions, which confused security,” Dosara said.
The chairman added that he had visited the nearest police mobile base to strengthen security cooperation and prevent further attacks on the community.
The 12 victims were buried on Sunday morning according to Islamic rites.
The latest attack has renewed concerns over worsening insecurity in parts of Zamfara State, particularly communities along the Gusau-Sokoto highway, which have suffered repeated bandit attacks, ambushes and kidnappings.
Residents have described the incident as barbaric and called on security agencies and the state government to strengthen security operations to protect vulnerable communities and prevent further killings and abductions.