Zamfara Bandit Attack: Villagers Fight Back as Over 30 Gunmen Die
Residents of Birnin Tudu in Gummi Local Government Area of Zamfara State have fought back against armed bandits who invaded their community, reportedly killing more than 30 gunmen during three days of clashes.
The attack, which began on Tuesday, reportedly left three residents dead inside the community, while others sustained injuries. Residents also reported additional deaths in neighbouring areas.
According to accounts gathered by Daily Trust, the attackers arrived on motorcycles in large numbers, surrounded the village and opened fire as they moved through the community.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the invasion caught many villagers off guard because several people had gone to their farms to harvest crops.
He said the attackers arrived at about 10am and surrounded the community from different directions.
The resident estimated that more than 100 motorcycles were involved in the operation, with about three people riding on each motorcycle.
He said he personally counted 71 motorcycles while hiding from the attackers.
The gunmen reportedly broke into shops, looted goods and fired their weapons sporadically, forcing residents to organise a response.
Rather than flee their homes, some villagers and local vigilantes confronted the attackers in an effort to protect their community.
The resident said the confrontation left three villagers dead, while three others suffered fractures and another person sustained a gunshot wound.
He added that the attackers returned for another round of fighting while residents were distributing batteries for their torchlights.
The villagers eventually forced the gunmen towards the eastern part of the community, according to the account.
Although the attackers reportedly escaped with cattle rustled from neighbouring communities, they did not take livestock from Birnin Tudu.
Villagers Report 30 Bandits Killed
Another resident said the attackers operated in three groups, with one travelling on motorcycles, another moving with the rustled cattle and the third following behind.
He explained that the gunmen used communication devices to contact their associates hiding in nearby bushes and coordinate their movements.
According to him, villagers initially counted 11 dead bandits during the confrontation.
However, they were unable to recover more weapons after another group of armed men launched a fresh attack while they were trying to collect rifles from the fallen gunmen.
The resident said the renewed assault disrupted their efforts to retrieve the weapons.
On Thursday morning, the villagers reportedly received information that the bandits were approaching from the western side of the community.
The warning prompted residents and local vigilantes to prepare for another possible attack.
They also received reports that the gunmen had rustled cattle from Sabon Garin Kaddagi village and were heading towards Kwartaga forest.
Local vigilantes reportedly confirmed sightings of the armed men and positioned themselves to prevent them from entering the community.
Residents subsequently put the number of bandits killed during the clashes at more than 30. However, the figure had not been independently verified.
Another person was reportedly killed outside Birnin Tudu, while a separate death was reported in Dantsullutu.
A resident also recounted how a villager allegedly escaped from captivity after overhearing a bandit leader complain that more than 30 members of his group had died during the operation.
The captive reportedly escaped when he was ordered to help push a motorcycle belonging to one of the gunmen.
After the motorcycle started, he moved away, ran into tall crops and eventually returned home.
The account could not be independently confirmed.
Zamfara Residents Reject Gold Mining Report
Residents of Birnin Tudu also dismissed reports that the attack was linked to the community’s refusal to allow a bandit leader identified as Gwaska to mine gold in the area.
One resident described the report as false, insisting that the villagers remained determined to defend their homes.
He maintained that the community would not abandon its ancestral land because of threats from armed groups.
The controversy was further complicated by the existence of two villages named Birnin Tudu in Zamfara State.
While the community involved in the reported clashes is in Gummi Local Government Area, another Birnin Tudu is located in Anka Local Government Area.
The village head of Birnin Tudu in Anka told Daily Trust that his community had not been attacked.
The Zamfara State Police Command also dismissed reports of an attack on the Anka community over a gold mining dispute.
Police spokesperson DSP Yazid Abubakar confirmed the incident in Gummi and said the command had intensified security efforts to protect residents.
He said the police were working to ensure that the affected community received adequate support.
Vigilantes Demand More Security Personnel
Following the three-day confrontation, the vigilante commander in Birnin Tudu, Bello Abubakar, popularly known as Bello Karo Birnin Tudu, appealed to security agencies and the Gummi Local Government Council for additional support.
Abubakar said residents had received intelligence about the movement of a large group of bandits since Monday, but the attackers did not invade the community until Tuesday morning.
By then, many villagers had already left for their farms.
He recalled that fewer than 10 people were available to guard the community when they learnt that the gunmen were approaching.
The vigilante commander suspected that an informant might have disclosed the villagers’ security plans and the location of their intended ambush.
According to him, the attackers changed their route, entered through the eastern side and split into two groups.
One group reportedly moved towards Koga village, while the other headed for Hishi village.
The movement allowed the villagers to regroup and block the entrances to their community.
Abubakar said the vigilantes moved towards any location where gunshots were heard to reinforce their colleagues.
He also recalled a previous attack about two years ago, when residents claimed to have killed more than 15 bandits without losing anyone on their side.
Warning that the latest confrontation could trigger reprisals, he called on the government to deploy additional security personnel and provide an armoured vehicle.
He also appealed to Gummi Local Government Chairman Aminu Falale to supply more equipment, including torchlights and other essential materials.
Abubakar said the community had exhausted much of its available resources during the prolonged confrontation.
Falale declined to discuss the incident over the telephone, asking the reporter to meet him in person. He ended the call after the reporter requested an appointment.
Efforts to reach Adamu Aliyu Gazura, who represents the constituency in the Zamfara State House of Assembly, were unsuccessful as his telephone numbers were unreachable.
Retired Military Officer Warns Against Reprisal
A retired military officer and security expert, Bello Muhammad Bakyasuwa Maradun, has urged the Zamfara State Government to strengthen security in Birnin Tudu following the clashes.
Maradun, a former commandant of the state’s Anti-Thuggery unit, warned that the community could face retaliatory attacks and called for the immediate deployment of additional security personnel.
He praised the residents for defending their community but stressed that they should not be left to confront heavily armed groups without adequate government support.
According to him, the incident demonstrates the importance of cooperation between local communities and security agencies in tackling insecurity.
He advocated stronger intelligence-sharing arrangements, improved surveillance and other lawful measures to help residents identify threats and alert security agencies promptly.
Maradun also warned that any provision of weapons to community members must comply with the law and be properly supervised to prevent further insecurity.
He cautioned that the reported deaths of more than 30 bandits did not necessarily mean the armed groups had been defeated.
Instead, he urged the government and security agencies to act quickly to prevent reprisals, protect residents and restore peace in the affected communities.
He said the priority should be to support the villagers’ efforts with effective security operations capable of preventing further attacks in Zamfara State.
