Tension As Bandits Operate In Zamfara For Over Two Hours Without Resistance, Abduct 26

<h4>Tension As Bandits Operate In Zamfara For Over Two Hours<&sol;h4>&NewLine;<p><strong><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;">OpenLife Nigeria<&sol;a><&sol;strong> reports that no fewer than 26 persons have been abducted by armed bandits during coordinated attacks on two communities in Talata Mafara Local Government Area of <strong><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;">Zamfara State<&sol;a><&sol;strong>&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;State and local government authorities confirmed that the attacks occurred over the weekend&comma; further deepening security concerns in the North-West region&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Speaking to BBC Hausa Service&comma; monitored by our correspondent on Monday&comma; the Chairman of Talata Mafara Local Government&comma; Yahaya Yari Abubakar&comma; disclosed that the gunmen carried out two separate attacks&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;According to him&comma; the first attack took place in Matuna village&comma; where the assailants abducted three persons and killed one resident&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;They later returned and attacked Tashar Kuturu village&comma; where they abducted 23 people and shot one resident in the hand and leg&period; The victim has been taken to a hospital in Jangebe for treatment&comma;” he said&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Residents said the attack on Tashar Kuturu occurred late at night&comma; with the gunmen firing sporadically to instil fear&period; The attackers reportedly operated for about two hours without resistance&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Abubakar revealed that the bandits arrived on motorcycles&comma; heavily armed&comma; and mounted a tripod-mounted gun in the middle of the road&comma; which they fired repeatedly to intimidate residents and force compliance&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;They abducted men&comma; women and children&comma;some were taken on foot&comma; others on motorcycles&comma;”<&sol;strong><&sol;em> he added&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Talata Mafara is one of the worst-hit local government areas in Zamfara State&period; In 2021&comma; the area gained global attention after the abduction of nearly 300 female students from Government Girls <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;vanguardngr&period;com&sol;">Secondary<&sol;a> School&comma; Jangebe&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The latest incident comes amid a renewed surge in bandit attacks across the <strong><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;">North-West&period;<&sol;a><&sol;strong> Just last week&comma; gunmen abducted about 170 worshippers in Kajuru&comma; Kaduna State&comma; with over 160 still unaccounted for&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>In recent months&comma; similar attacks have been recorded in Kebbi and Niger States&comma; including school invasions that led to the abduction of students and teachers&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Despite repeated assurances by security agencies&comma; residents say the persistent attacks have crippled farming and economic activities&comma; forcing many villagers to flee their homes&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em>Source&colon; Vanguard<&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;