Gunmen have again abducted over 20 women and destroyed property, following attacks in 15 villages around Gusau, Zamfara state capital.
Some locals in Geba and Gidan Kaura villages, and others in communities within the Gusau Local Government Area confirmed the attacks.
“The bandits kidnapped women and girls, took them away. The bandits kidnapped 10 women in Kura at Bayauri they kidnapped nine. They also entered a village called Gana and kidnapped seven before proceeding to Duma and kidnapped another seven. These happened before Sunday morning,” a local source told BBC.
Reports said many villages have been deserted as the villagers flee to the state capital.
“We have women, children and the pregnant ones, there is no food. If you see where they sleep in this cold, as if there is no government,” another local source said
Commissioner of Information, Ibrahim Dosara, said the attack happened in Geba.
“There are soldiers working in that zone, they went to Geba. They met three people injured, the soldiers dispersed the bandits.”
However, it was a bad day for insurgents as the Special Forces and Air Task Force of the Nigerian military on Sunday foiled a terrorist attack at the School of Special Forces in Yobe State.
PRNigeria reported that seven ISWAP insurgents were killed when the troops repelled a separate attack on civilian population at Buni Yadi, popular town in the state.
The attackers reportedly stormed the town at about 5pm, in two different groups. One of the groups attacked from ‘Charly Company’ while other terrorist group attempted to attack the School of Special Forces.
“The terrorists used cows as their shield in order to gain easy access without being noticed, but their evil plan and strategy were unravelled by the troops, who quickly engaged them in a gun battle.
“The ISWAP fighters, however, succumbed to the superior fire-power of our military troops and attempted to flee.
“But in the process, seven of them were gunned down, while two vehicles were recovered.”
The troops also arrested injured bandits at a health facility in Zamfara State.
The bandits were said to be among those who fled air strikes by a military jet in the state on Friday.
It was learnt that an aircraft of the Air Component of Operation Hadarin Daji carried out air interdiction missions at bandit camps in the North West State, on Friday.
A reliable security source said scores of bandits in the camps of Alhaji Zaki, Alhaji Maidaji, Kachalla Doso and Kachalla Kariga were killed in Shamushelle area of Birnin Magaji.
It added that some bandits were injured while scampering for safety against the bombardments.
“Security operatives, however, intercepted about eight injured bandits at a local health facility, who had gone to seek medical treatment,” he said.
