Bandits have killed a police officer and abducted 10 villagers during a late-night attack on Farin Ruwa village in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The slain officer was identified as an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Samalia Sule. Five villagers were also reported killed during the raid, which occurred when the assailants stormed the community under the cover of darkness.
Residents said the bodies of the police officer and the slain villagers were discovered after the attackers had withdrawn from the area with the abducted persons.
It was further learnt that another police officer, Inspector Aliyu Ibrahim, was taken alive by the bandits alongside the 10 villagers, who were forcefully marched into nearby forests.
Sources disclosed that the attackers also made away with Inspector Ibrahim’s AK-47 rifle and 30 rounds of live ammunition.
A senior police officer in the state, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the incident, saying search and rescue operations had commenced.
“Every available resource is being deployed to rescue the victims and recover the stolen weapons,” the officer said.
As of the time of filing this report, the Zamfara State Government and the state police command were yet to issue official statements on the attack.
Efforts to obtain a reaction from the Zamfara State Police Public Relations Officer, Yazid Abubakar, were unsuccessful, as calls placed to his phone were not answered.
Zamfara State has continued to witness persistent attacks by armed bandits, with rural communities bearing the brunt of killings, kidnappings and displacement, despite ongoing security operations in the North-West region.
