Suspected bandits have killed 12 members of the same family after setting their room ablaze during an attack on Gidan Taba village in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The attackers stormed the community on Saturday night, targeting the family of Mallam Muhammadu Sani in Dosara Birnin Kaya Ward.
A resident said the family members had locked themselves inside a room to avoid being abducted.
However, the attackers reportedly discovered their hiding place and ordered them to open the door. When they refused, the gunmen set the room ablaze, killing everyone inside.
Maradun Local Government Chairman Sanusi Ahmed Dosara confirmed the killings, describing the incident as heartbreaking and inhuman.
“What occurred in Gidan Taba village is heartbreaking and disheartening. A father, his wives and small children, 12 of them, were all killed by fire,” Dosara said.
He explained that the victims died from intense heat after the attackers set the room ablaze, rather than from direct contact with the flames.
Dosara also confirmed that the bandits abducted other residents during the attack. However, he said local vigilantes intercepted the assailants and secured the release of some abductees after an exchange of gunfire.
He said the exact number of residents still in captivity had yet to be established because of the tense situation in the community.
The chairman added that the attackers fired sporadically in different directions to confuse security personnel and conceal their positions. He said he had visited a nearby police mobile base to strengthen security cooperation and prevent further attacks.
The 12 victims were buried on Sunday morning according to Islamic rites.
The attack has heightened concerns over insecurity in parts of Zamfara State, where armed groups have repeatedly carried out killings and kidnappings.
As of the time of filing this report, the Zamfara State Government and the police had yet to issue official statements on the incident.
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