MARADUN, Nigeria – Armed bandits have kidnapped 23 women, including widows and teenage girls, in an early morning raid on the Damaga village in the Maradun local government area of Zamfara State, further heightening insecurity concerns in the region.
The incident occurred on Thursday, July 27, 2023, as per the residents’ accounts.
Malam Musa Dan Damaga, a resident of the affected area, informed journalists about the unsettling event.
“The kidnapped victims went to look for firewood, comprising teenage girls and widows,” he explained, indicating the victims’ vulnerability.
Damaga revealed that the bandits showed a modicum of mercy, allowing small children to go free.
But the remaining captives, who number more than twenty, are still in captivity.
“As I’m talking to you, we’ve discovered more than twenty of them were in captivity,” Damaga lamented.
Efforts to get official confirmation on the incident from the Zamfara state police have been unsuccessful.
Multiple attempts to reach the public relations officer of the Zamfara State Police Command, ASP. Yazeed Abubakar, for comments proved futile as his telephone lines remained unreachable.
The kidnappings represent the latest security challenges in Zamfara State, located in northwest Nigeria.
The state has been a hotbed of banditry and related crimes for several years, with groups often attacking remote villages and kidnapping residents for ransom.
This latest incident has intensified the cry for improved security measures and swift actions to rescue the kidnapped victims.
On the Brink: Federal Lawmaker Warns Bandits on Verge of Overrunning Zamfara
Kabiru Adamu, a member of Nigeria’s House of Representatives from Zamfara State, issued a grim warning on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, stating that the state capital, Gusau, is on the brink of falling to bandits.
The distressing revelation came amidst a troubling rise in violent incidents, including rampant rape of women and children.
Representative Adamu’s report laid bare the chilling realities on the ground, suggesting an escalating security crisis that has left the state government seemingly powerless to stop the violence.
Painting a horrifying picture of a region spiraling into chaos, the lawmaker warned that bandits needed urgent intervention to prevent a complete takeover.
“Inaction at this juncture would be catastrophic. I implore the President to direct the service chiefs to take immediate and decisive action,” Adamu stated, emphasizing the situation’s urgency. “The safety of lives and properties are at stake, and the very fabric of our state is under threat.”
The lawmaker’s urgent appeal underscores the deteriorating security situation in Zamfara State and heightens the call for swift, strategic measures to curb the escalating violence.
The situation in Zamfara, according to Representative Adamu, extends beyond isolated incidents of crime, to a systemic security crisis that threatens not just Gusau but the entire state.
“The bandits’ actions have far-reaching implications,” Adamu said. “This is not just a threat to the peace and security of Gusau, but to the entire state of Zamfara.”
Adamu’s warnings are a grim reminder of Nigeria’s increasingly volatile state of security, particularly in the northern states, which have been hard-hit by insurgent activity and banditry.
The lawmaker’s call to action highlights the urgent need for a robust and coordinated response to the security crisis to avert an even more devastating scenario.
