At the weekend, assailants targeted towns in Zamfara State’s Maradun Local Council, where they killed a large number of locals and kidnapped about 30 girls.
On Sunday in Kaduna, a witness to the incident told newsmen that one of the females who was kidnapped and managed to escape from captivity returned with little more than her headscarf.
Over 20 villagers were reportedly killed and several others were injured when the terrorists invaded the communities of Sakkida and Jambako on Saturday afternoon.
A villager, who survived, said: “We woke up peacefully. There was rain and some locals had prepared to go to the farm. Suddenly, there was report that the terrorists had attacked a neighbouring village, Sakkida.
“The local vigilante called the people of Jambako and sought help. Our volunteers and other community members took up arms and headed to the village.
“There was a hill before you reach the village. Not knowing that the terrorists had laid ambush behind the hills, they opened fire on our people. Today, in Jambako, 22 people were buried.”
The survivor said: “Security operatives were called but they replied that they would not be able to come immediately because their armoured personnel carrier was not on ground. They only had a Hilux. The security operatives tried; they chased the terrorists. When they returned, they came with motorcycles that belonged to the terrorists.
“Many people were injured. Some were shot. Others were hit with machetes. In Jambako, there was not any security operative stationed there to provide security.”
Another local told journalists that girls were abducted in Gora village, while picking firewood in the bush, and that last week, terrorists killed three persons and abducted other three.
He said: “Now, they’ve abducted our girls, over 30. They sent a message that this year, if we want to cultivate our farms in Daggera, we must have a truce with them. We’ve been doing that with them. We can’t even count the number of times we entered into such agreement. We don’t know what to do.”
He said the girls were abducted on Saturday, at about noon. He alleged that security operatives were yet to go on search and rescue of the abducted girls.
