Gunmen suspected to be bandits on Friday night invaded Bungudu town in Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State, abducting the Chairman of the local government, Nura Umar Abdullahi, in his residence.
The attackers also injured the chairman’s elder brother during the attack and took the chairman’s wife and children but later released them as the marauders were quoted as saying that they had only come for the LG boss.
The attack claimed the lives of four members of the chairman’s security team whose names were given as Inspector Basiru Lawal, Constable Hamza Muhammad, Nura Alkali and Ibrahim Baare.
A source in the community who was aware of the incident told Impact Nigeria News Online on Saturday morning that the chairman’s elder brother, Alhaji Bello Umar Abdullahi, a former Treasury Officer with the Zamfara State Ministry of Finance, was also injured during the attack while two other residents, Haliru Ahmad Soja, a staff member of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Gusau, as well as Hussaini Naira, a POS operator and recharge card vendor, were also abducted by the marauders.
The source added that what was most alarming regarding the attack was that the bandits operated in Bungudu for more than two hours without facing any challenge from security agencies as Bungudu is a major town on the Gusau-Sokoto highway, just a short distance from Gusau, the Zamfara State capital.
As of the time of this report, the bandits are yet to make any contact with the family members of the local government chairman regarding payment of ransom.
In another positive development, on Friday afternoon, troops responded to intelligence about terrorists blocking the Wasagu-Ayu Road in Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
A fierce exchange of gunfire followed, forcing the terrorists to flee in disarray and abandon two motorcycles. The troops pursued them along their escape route, but no further contact was made.
