Over the weekend, terrorist attacks occurred in communities within Maradun Local Council of Zamfara State, resulting in the killing of numerous residents and the abduction of approximately 30 girls.
According to a survivor interviewed by BBC Hausa Service in Kaduna, one of the kidnapped girls managed to escape and returned wearing only her headscarf.
The attackers launched their assault on Sakkida and Jambako communities on Saturday afternoon, reportedly claiming the lives of more than 20 villagers in Sakkida and leaving others injured.
A surviving villager recounted the events, saying, “We woke up peacefully, with rain falling, and some locals were getting ready to go to the farm. Suddenly, news arrived that terrorists had attacked a neighboring village, Sakkida. The local vigilante group called for help from the people of Jambako. Our volunteers and other community members armed themselves and headed toward the village.”
The villager continued, “There was a hill before reaching the village, but unbeknownst to us, the terrorists had set an ambush behind it. They opened fire on our people. Today, in Jambako, we buried 22 individuals.”
Regarding the response from security operatives, the survivor mentioned, “Security forces were alerted, but they said they couldn’t come immediately because their armored personnel carrier was not available. They only had a Hilux vehicle. The security operatives made an effort; they pursued the terrorists. When they returned, they brought motorcycles that belonged to the terrorists.”
He further lamented the lack of stationed security personnel in Jambako, stating, “There were no security operatives present to provide security in Jambako. Many people were injured, some shot, and others attacked with machetes.”
Another local resident informed journalists that the girls were abducted in Gora village while gathering firewood in the bush. Additionally, he mentioned that last week, terrorists killed three individuals and abducted three others.
He stated, “Now, they have abducted over 30 of our girls. They sent a message saying that if we want to cultivate our farms in Daggera this year, we must make a truce with them. We have been doing so repeatedly. We cannot even count the number of times we have entered into such agreements. We do not know what to do.”
According to his account, the girls were kidnapped around noon on Saturday, and he alleged that security forces had yet to initiate search and rescue operations for the abducted girls.
