Terrorists Kill Over 50 Farmers In Northwest Nigeria

Terrorists on Thursday evening, June 10, 2021 killed over 50 villagers after attacking Kadawa, Gandasamu, Jinkirawa Tsara, and Yanbuki wards in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State, Northwest, Nigeria.

Eyewitnesses said the terrorists spent about three hours between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., shooting farmers while at work on their farms in the said villages.

The District Head of Magarya, one of the affected areas, confirmed the incident to HumAngle.

Aggrieved relatives of those killed by the terrorists later took their bodies to the Government House in Gusau, the state’s capital.

One of the relatives who accompanied the corpses to the Government House said the motive was for Bello Muhammad Matawalle, the Governor of Zamfara State to see their predicament by himself. The relative who declined to be named said the bodies were later taken away for burial.

But a local source, Abdullahi Yusuf Zurmi, who is well familiar with the development, said that, “a day before the attack, the mobile police officers attached to Yanbuki outpost were withdrawn from the village.”

Bala Yaro Mada, 33, lamented the incessant attacks on villagers by terrorists in the state.

He added that governments at all levels have done enough to secure lives and properties of innocent citizens particularly those in Zamfara State.

According to Mada, what the residents want from Zamfara State Government is to “as a matter of urgency allow our patriotic vigilant groups to address our worsening insecurity.”

“I think the only solution to the problem is that the government should allow military operations in those affected areas. Imagine bandits carrying out their heartless operation for a good four hours unchallenged,” another local source who gave his name as Abdullahi said.

Following the attack, HumAngle learnt that about 507 women and children have vacated the affected villages.

Indo and Meri, who are survivors of the attack, explained that “we are here as IDPs with no one to offer help to us. Our husbands were killed today, we do not know our fate tomorrow.”

“We have no food to eat, no farm to cultivate and nowhere to go.”

“The worst of all is that we are all abandoned and have no idea of what will happen next to us,” Meri cried out.

Findings by our reporter revealed that terrorists operating in the area have conquered all the neighboring villages except Magarya, Kadawa, Askawa, Jinkirawa, Yanbuki, and Kadamutsa.

According to a local source, “the terrorists promised to enter those towns and rustle their herds.”

The terrorist groups under the charge of terrorists kingpin, Dantagwaye and Dahiru Noti’s boys operating around Rukudawa-Dunburun forest axis of Zurmi/Shinkafi Local Government Areas of Zamfara State had recently served a notice to villagers demanding over N12 million from them before they could be allowed to commence the farming season.