Bandits Kill 23 in 5 Zamfara Villages, Wound 3 in 3-Hour Raid

3 articles · Updated · DW (English) · Jul 23

At least 21 to 23 people were killed and three wounded when armed bandits attacked five villages in Talata Mafara, Zamfara state, on Wednesday; the injured were taken to a hospital in neighboring Sokoto.
Residents said the raid began around 2 p.m. and continued unhindered for about three hours, while attackers also rustled a large number of livestock.
Some villagers accused local security forces of failing to intervene during the assault, echoing long-running complaints about weak protection in Zamfara.
The attack underscores the persistent threat from criminal bandit gangs in northwestern Nigeria, where raids, cattle theft and kidnappings for ransom remain distinct from Boko Haram's insurgency in the northeast.