An unnamed 3-year-old was among survivors of renewed bandit attacks on a Nigeria community in Zamfara State. The toddler who was shot on the leg is currently receiving treatment in a local hospital in Karaye.
A federal lawmaker representing Gummi/Bukkuyum, Suaiman Abubakar Gummi, disclosed this in an interview after Wednesday’s plenary.
The renewed attacks by bandits in the State, which lasted for two days claimed over a dozen lives and was mainly targeted a Kayare community.
“Their main focus was a village called Karaye, they surrounded that location, destroyed the whole village, there is no house that is standing.
“And what they do is they push a family into a house and set it ablaze and you can come out. Once you come out, they shoot you.
The lawmaker expressed worries over the unhindered manner in which bandits numbering over 200 on motorbikes operated without any form of interception from the police authorities.
“There seems to be a good intel on their movement. They know, they are sleeping in so and so secondary school in so and so location. The next day they moved and continue their attacks. They spent two nights in my constituency, which means there is good intel.
“If I can get the intel, I am sure the security operatives got the intel too. But why were they not intercepted? That is the question we should ask,” he said.
He expressed the resolve of his constituents not to retaliate in order to give peace a chance and support the peace initiative of the State Governor, Bello Matawalle.
Abubakar sought the intervention of parliament to among other things liaise with security agencies to investigate the root causes of the resurgence of attacks and also urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to send relief to victims in affected areas.
Meanwhile, Governor of Zamfara, Bello Matawalle on Wednesday, approved the immediate suspension of a senior District Head of Gummi, Ahhaji Abubakar Bala Gummi, the Bunun Gummi.
The suspension was contained in a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary of Cabinet Affairs and General Services, Alhaji Aliyu Bello Maradun.
Zamfara has experienced series of attacks by bandits since 2011. The attacks were however halted with the peace initiative of the new governor, Matawalle.
