Kidnappers closing in on us, Zamfara community cries out

The residents of communities in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State are now living in fear after armed men invaded Tsafe town and kidnapped a customs officer. The armed men struck around 10pm on Friday night and abducted the customs officer shortly after he came to his hometown for the weekend. The have demanded […]

The residents of communities in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State are now living in fear after armed men invaded Tsafe town and kidnapped a customs officer.

The armed men struck around 10pm on Friday night and abducted the customs officer shortly after he came to his hometown for the weekend. The have demanded N10m.

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Attacks on Tsafe town to kidnap residents are rare, even though the local government area is one of the hotspots of banditry. The state government had announced restriction of movement from 6pm to 6am in the town.

Last week, the armed men shot dead a muezzin while he was calling for subhi in Magazu, a community five kilometres South of Tsafe town. The bandits, believed to be fleeing military operations in parts of the state, are gradually turning parts of Tsafe LGA to their havens.

Tsafe town and Magazu community are situated along the 100km Gusau- Funtua road and the highway is becoming increasingly dangerous for travellers as bandits believed to be loyal to rustling kingpin, Ado Alero, are intercepting motorists daily.

A resident of Tsafe, Abdullahi Abubakar, said, “We are gripped by fear, the criminals are closing in on us. They have been attacking nearby communities in the local government area and are kidnapping motorists plying the Gusau-Funtua road.

“Authorities should as a matter of urgency do something about the situation otherwise people will abandon their homes and take refuge elsewhere. No one is sleeping with his two eyes closed since the kidnapping of that customs officer.”

Another residents identified as Aminu Yusuf said informants had been their greatest undoing, noting that, “Otherwise, who among the bandits in the forests personally knows the customs officer?”