No fewer than three persons lost their lives on Sunday when bandits invaded a market in Tsafe town, headquarters of Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
An eyewitness told newsmen that the bandits stormed the market around 11 am on Sunday and opened fire on those at the market.
He said: “The bandits entered around 11 a.m. and started shooting indiscriminately towards the people at the market. The DPO of Tsafe gathered his officers on duty and locked the police station, preventing people from entering the place for shelter.”
The spokesperson for the Zamfara State Police Command, Assistant Superintendent Yazid Abubakar confirmed the attack via a telephone conversation.
While he couldn’t ascertain the casualties, the state PPRO said security operatives including the military and police have engaged the bandits and have brought normalcy to the area.
Abubakar stated, “Yes, there was an incident this morning in Tsafe, the bandits entered the town, and there were casualties, but I can’t confirm the figures now. I’m still waiting for the DPO of Tsafe to give a full situation report but what I can confirm to you now is that the military and the police engaged the terrorists in gun battle and the area is calm now.”
“Residents also confirmed that the troops of Operation Hadarin Daji deployed to Tsafe engaged the bandits in a gun duel which forced them to retreat to the forest,” Channels TV added.
Gunmen, on Monday, killed the secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Tsafe LG, identified as Musa Ille.
Ille was killed in his residence at about 8:30 pm on Monday by gunmen suspected to be bandits.
A resident of the area, Iliyasu Samaila, told Sunday PUNCH that Ille had just returned from the night prayer (Ishai) when the gunmen entered his house and shot him dead.
Meanwhile, some bandits called for a peace talk with the Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, as revealed in a viral video on Thursday.
In the video, a bandit, Garba Habeeb, who claimed to be the leader, appealed for negotiation between his group and the state government.
