Bandits Abduct LG Chairman in Zamfara, Kill Four Security Operatives

. Northern coalition demands sweeping offensive after killing of 23 farmers

 Onuminya Innocent in Gusau

Residents of Bungudu Local Government Area (LGA) in Zamfara State were left in mourning on Friday night after suspected bandits killed four security personnel. They abducted the council chairman, Nura Abdullahi.

This is just as the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has condemned the killing of 23 farmers by suspected armed bandits in Sauna District of Talata Mafara Local Government Area (LGA) of Zamfara State.

CNG urged the federal government to launch decisive security operations to end the wave of attacks on rural communities.

Residents of Bungudu LGA said the killing of the security operatives and the abduction of the chairman and two others occurred around 11:40 p.m.

Jamilu Bungudu, a media aide to the federal lawmaker representing the Bungudu/Maru Constituency, Abdulmalik Zubairu, stated that the assailants invaded the chairman’s official residence.

They abducted Abdullahi alongside Halliru Soja, a staff member of the Federal Medical Centre, Gusau, and Hussaini Naira, a POS operator.

Bungudu said that during the attack, the gunmen killed four security personnel attached to the chairman before whisking him away.

The victims were identified as Inspector Basiru Lawal, police constable Hamza Muhammad, and two vigilantes, Nura ADC and Ibrahim Baare.

Additionally, Bello Abdullahi, a former treasurer in the state Ministry of Finance, sustained injuries during the raid.

Efforts to reach the Zamfara State Police spokesperson, Yazid Abubakar, for official comment were unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, a northern coalition described the massacre of 23 farmers in the state as a grim reminder of the worsening insecurity in parts of Northern Nigeria, warning that persistent attacks on farmers could undermine the country’s food security and worsen economic hardship.

In a statement yesterday, its National Coordinator, Comrade Jamilu Charanchi, expressed condolences to the families of the victims, the people of Sauna District and the Zamfara State Government over what he called the “unacceptable loss of innocent lives.”

According to the group, the victims were attacked while working on their farms, a development it said reflects the growing audacity of armed bandits operating across the region.

Charanchi said the attack was particularly disturbing because the victims were law-abiding farmers striving to provide food for their families and contribute to the nation’s agricultural production.

He noted that the incident came at a critical period of the farming season, when farmers are expected to cultivate crops that would sustain millions of Nigerians.

He warned that continued insecurity in farming communities could lead to reduced agricultural output, worsening food shortages, rising food prices, displacement of rural residents and deeper economic challenges.

The coalition called on President Bola Tinubu, the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), the Inspector-General of Police (IG) and other security agencies to intensify coordinated military and intelligence operations across Zamfara and other banditry-prone states.

It also urged the Zamfara State Government to deepen collaboration with federal security agencies, traditional rulers and local communities to strengthen intelligence gathering, surveillance and rapid response mechanisms.

The CNG further advocated a sustained security presence in vulnerable farming communities, major agricultural corridors and rural access roads throughout the farming season to enable farmers to carry out their activities without fear.

It also appealed to the government to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to affected families and ensure that survivors receive adequate medical, psychological and economic support.

The coalition stressed the need for the immediate arrest and prosecution of those behind the attack, saying ending impunity would serve as a strong deterrent against future atrocities.

“The protection of lives and property remains the foremost constitutional responsibility of the government. Every farmer killed is not just a human tragedy but also a direct attack on the economy, food security and national stability,” Charanchi said.

He added that the country had reached a point where routine condemnations and expressions of sympathy were no longer sufficient, insisting that only sustained, intelligence-driven security operations could restore confidence in rural communities and guarantee the safety of farmers.