At least 58 people have died in an armed attack conducted by gunmen who raided several communities in the areas of Anka and Bukkuyum, in Nigeria’s northwestern state of Zamfara.
This was reported by security sources quoted by the Premium Times newspaper, who said that the attacks began on Tuesday night and continued until Wednesday as the gunmen moved from one village to another. Meanwhile, according to the same sources, after the attacks the gunmen moved to the western part of Zamfara State to escape the onslaught of Nigerian troops and some vigilantes from some of the affected communities were killed while trying to repel the attackers, while hundreds of residents are fleeing to Anka, one of the main centers of the area. Communities in Zamfara and other states in Nigeria’s northwest have been the target of sustained attacks in recent years by gangs known locally as bandits but who are actually sophisticated criminal networks operating across vast areas of territory stealing livestock and kidnapping hostages for ransom. The government has deployed thousands of military personnel to fight them.