Twelve members of the same family have been killed after suspected bandits set their room on fire during a Saturday night attack on Gidan Taba village in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The victims, members of the family of Mallam Muhammadu Sani, had locked themselves inside a single room to avoid being abducted when the attackers stormed the community in Dosara Birnin Kaya Ward, local sources told Vanguard and Punch.
According to the sources, the bandits ordered the family to open the door and, when they refused, set fire around the room, killing all twelve people inside.
Maradun chairman confirms 12 deaths in Zamfara attack
The Chairman of Maradun Local Government Area, Sanusi Ahmed Dosara, confirmed the incident and described it as heartbreaking and inhuman.
"A father, his wives and small children, 12 of them, were all killed by fire," Dosara said. He explained that the victims died from the intense heat after the bandits set the room ablaze and the fire engulfed the roofing.
Dosara led the funeral prayers at Gidan Taba on Sunday, and the twelve victims were buried on Sunday morning in accordance with Islamic rites.
Other residents abducted as Zamfara attack toll emerges
Several other residents were abducted during the raid. The exact number has not been confirmed because of the tense situation in the community, although BusinessDay reported that local vigilantes secured the release of some of the victims after a gun duel with the assailants.
As of the time of the reports, security agencies had yet to issue an official statement on the attack. Residents condemned the killings as barbaric and called on the Zamfara State Government and security agencies to intensify efforts to protect lives and property, amid recurring bandit attacks and threats to commuters along the Gusau-Sokoto road.
NewsTweetNaija will update this story as official statements and further details emerge.
File photo: armed bandits. Photo: Vanguard News.
Sources: Vanguard News, Punch, BusinessDay. Follow @newstweetnaija on Instagram for updates.