Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal on Tuesday expressed sadness over the killings of some Community Protection Guard (CPG) officers by bandits in Tsafe Local Government Area.
A banditry kingpin, Dan Isuhu, and his gang ambushed the guard along the Tsafe road. Soldiers and special mobile forces were also reportedly injured in the attack.
The governor, in a statement by his spokesperson, Sulaiman Idris, identified the deceased guards as Nasiru Aliyu, Jabiru Hassan, Abdullahi Dangude, Bashar Bawa, Mu'azu Musa, Anas Dahiru, Anas Yakubu, Lawali Yunusa and one other.
Describing the attack as a “barbaric act committed by scattered bandits on the run”, the governor praised the guards and troops for their sacrifice to protect people's lives.
“The bandits' ambush of our guards is a cowardly act as they were dispersed and fled due to the sustained attack by the troops across the state,” the governor said, adding that the troops will continue their attack against the terrorists in the state and complete [North West] region.
The governor, who sympathized with the families of the deceased guards, said: “Their sacrifice will never be forgotten. “I hope the injured recover as soon as possible.”
“My government is committed to providing all necessary support to the families of the frontline guards who lost their lives,” he added.
Article page with financial support promotion
Zamfara: a hotbed of banditry
What began primarily as a clash between armed Fulani herdsmen and the Hausa vigilante group, Yansakai, has now escalated into full-blown violence, ranging from cattle rustling and kidnapping for ransom to the mutilation and murder of locals. .
The first group of bandits, Kungiyar Gayu, emerged. [in Zamfara] in 2011, focusing on rustling and cattle rustling. Unfortunately, an effort to suppress the group by the outlawed Hausa Yansakai group worsened the situation, resulting in the formation of more armed bandit groups dominated mainly by the Fulani.
READ ALSO: Lawal regrets ambush and death of 9 Zamfara guards in Tsafe
The trend spread beyond Zamfara to other states in northern Nigeria, making it overwhelming for the police to act alone. Nigerian troops made up of police, military and local vigilantes have continued to fight the bandits, resulting in casualties on both sides. However, the scourge continues as terrorists dominate ungoverned spaces and apply their own rules.
In a recent video, one of the terror kingpins, Bello Turji, traced the genesis of banditry to the partial application of Sharia law, supposedly to subjugate the Fulani in Zamfara.
According to him, the Yansakai militia made the situation even worse, aggravating the grievances of the Fulani.