Twelve members of a family were killed after suspected bandits set fire to a room during an attack on Gidan Taba village in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State on Saturday night, according to the council chairman.

The Chairman of Maradun Local Government Area, Sanusi Dosara, said the victims included a father, his wives and young children. Daily Post reported his account on Sunday.

The family of Muhammadu Sani had taken refuge in a room when armed men invaded the community in Dosara Birnin Kaya Ward, Vanguard reported, citing a local source.

The source said the attackers ordered the occupants to open the door but set fire around the room when they refused.

Mr Dosara, who led the victims’ funeral prayers on Sunday, attributed their deaths to the intense heat generated by the fire rather than direct contact with the flames.

Several other residents were abducted during the raid. The chairman said local vigilantes intercepted the attackers and rescued some captives following an exchange of gunfire.

He said the exact number of abducted residents had not been established because of the tension in the community.

Conflicting accounts

Published reports differ over the number of people killed and the circumstances in which the family became trapped.

While Mr Dosara put the death toll at 12, LEADERSHIP reported 11 fatalities. In a separate report, Daily Post cited North-West conflict reporter Bakatsine, who said 13 people, identified as Sani Ɗanwawo and 12 family members, had been killed.

The reports also differ on whether the occupants locked themselves inside the room for safety or were confined there by their attackers.

LEADERSHIP reported that Muhammadu Sani was associated with a local vigilante group and had been targeted for resisting armed groups operating in the area.

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A resident, Ibrahim Tukur, also told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Sani was specifically targeted because of his role in disrupting the group’s criminal operations and denying them free movement within the community
The attack came days after another deadly assault in Zamfara. On 3 November, Reuters reported that at least eight security personnel, including five police officers and three members of the Zamfara Community Protection Guard, were killed in an ambush near Gidan-Giye village in Tsafe Local Government Area.

The Zamfara State Police Command spokesperson, Yazid Abubakar, confirmed the attack to LEADERSHIP and said security operatives were pursuing the perpetrators. The newspaper did not quote him providing a casualty figure.

Efforts by PREMIUM TIMES to obtain further clarification from Mr Abubakar were unsuccessful. He did not respond to messages or a telephone call seeking details about the casualties, abductions and circumstances of the attack before this report was filed.

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Zamfara Attack: Council chair says 12 family members killed

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