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Bandits operating in Zamfara State have allegedly kidnapped more than 40 individuals from various communities within the Maru Local Government Area during a series of assaults over the last fortnight.
In a telephone interview on Thursday, a resident, Alhaji Umar Abdullahi, expressed to reporters that the situation has become increasingly alarming for numerous members of the community in the local government area.
He indicated that the bandits have been executing multiple attacks on the headquarters of the local government and its neighbouring communities, forcibly taking residents from their homes.
“Just last week, the bandits stormed our town and conducted house-to-house searches, starting from the Emir’s palace area, and kidnapped seven persons,” he told Daily Post.
He asserted that the frequent attacks on Maru communities were due to the activities of informants collaborating with the bandits in the area.
“Our major challenge is the bandits’ informants, as most of the kidnapped victims are prominent persons in the area.
“As I am talking to you now, there are over 40 kidnapped victims in bandit camps following simultaneous attacks on Maru communities over the past two weeks,” Abdullahi lamented.
He noted that the bandits terrorizing the area are operating from camps behind Bakalori Dam (Bayan Ruwa) in Maradun Local Government Area of the State.
“We are in serious trouble because many bandits are relocating to the Maradun camp. There is an urgent need for authorities to dislodge them for peace to thrive,” he said.
He urged both the federal and Zamfara State governments to promptly send additional troops to the Maradun region in order to address the issue of the Bayan Ruwa bandit camps.
Another local resident, Usman Abubakar, characterized the local government as a “colony of banditry,” asserting that the bandits operate with impunity.
According to him, Dansadau, a district within Maru Local Government, was the focal point when banditry first emerged over a decade ago.
However, he noted that the bandits have since expanded their activities throughout the entire State, particularly in the Maru Local Government Area.
It is important to remember that several months ago, bandits killed multiple police officers, including a Divisional Police Officer (DPO), in Maru town.
