BREAKING: Bandits Set Entire Family Ablaze, Burn Members Alive
Twelve members of a family, including a father, his wives and young children, have died after armed bandits set their room ablaze during a deadly attack on Gidan Taba village in Maradun LGA of Zamfara State.
The incident reportedly happened on Saturday night in Dosara Birnin Kaya Ward, where the gunmen invaded the community, killed the family members and abducted several residents.
A resident, who spoke anonymously, disclosed that the victims had locked themselves inside a room to avoid being taken away by the attackers.
However, the bandits reportedly discovered their hiding place and demanded that they open the door. Following their refusal, the assailants allegedly set the room on fire.
Confirming the tragedy, the Maradun Local Government Chairman, Hon. Sanusi Ahmed Dosara, described the incident as heartbreaking, saying all 12 family members died from the extreme heat after the room was set ablaze.
He explained that although the flames engulfed the roofing, the victims were not directly burnt but could not survive the intense heat inside the room.
The chairman also confirmed that an unspecified number of residents were kidnapped during the attack.
According to him, local vigilantes confronted the bandits in a gun duel and succeeded in securing the release of some abducted residents.
He said the exact number of those still in captivity was yet to be determined because of the tension in the area.
Dosara further revealed that the attackers adopted a diversionary strategy, firing shots in different directions to confuse security operatives and make it difficult to establish their actual positions.
He said he had visited the nearest police mobile base to discuss stronger security measures aimed at preventing further attacks.
The deceased were buried on Sunday morning according to Islamic traditions, while the local government chairman led the funeral prayers.
The latest incident has intensified fears over the worsening security situation in Zamfara, especially communities around the Gusau-Sokoto highway, where armed bandits have repeatedly carried out attacks, kidnappings and deadly ambushes.
Residents have urged the government and security agencies to urgently strengthen security operations to stop the recurring violence.
