Armed bandits on Wednesday evening attacked Magarya community under Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

The bandits in their large numbers were said to have killed 12 people, including seven mobile police officers and five other residents.

Confirming the incident to Channels Television via telephone conversation on Thursday, the former speaker of the Zamfara State House of Assembly, Nasiru Muazu Magarya who is an indigene of the town, told Channels Television that three vehicles including one belonging to his elder brother who is also the district head of Magarya were set ablaze.

He said Magarya Model Primary School and some part of his house were also set ablaze by the terrorists.

“The bandits entered the town in there large numbers with very sophisticated weapons, they killed twelve people including seven Policemen deployed to the town,” he said.

“The vehicles were burnt including that of my elder brother who is the district head of our community, some part of my house was also set ablaze and the Magarya model Primary school.”

The former speaker said some of the mobile Policemen deployed to the town ran for safety owing to the number of the bandits that attacked the community.

“We have some mobile Policemen in our community but when the bandits came in there large numbers and killed some of the police, others run for their lives.”

When contacted, the spokesperson of the Zamfara State Police Command, ASP Yazid Abubakar, said he was yet to get a situation report from the area but promised to find out and get back to our correspondent

Magarya community under Zurmi local government has been witnessing bandits attacks for several years

The bandits in the year 2021 attacked the community and kidnapped the father of the then Speaker of the Zamfara State House of Assembly, Nasiru Muazu Magarya who was the District Head of the Magarya community.

He later died while in captivity of the bandits after being held for over two months.