The Chairman of Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State, Hon. Nura Umar Bungudu, has reportedly been abducted by suspected bandits following a deadly attack on his residence in Bungudu town.
The attack occurred on Thursday night when the heavily armed gunmen stormed the chairman’s residence in the Zango area of the town, located less than 20 kilometres from the state capital, Gusau.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the assailants overpowered security personnel guarding the residence, killing two police officers and two vigilantes before abducting the council chairman and some members of his family.
According to the source, the security personnel mounted a fierce resistance but were overwhelmed by the superior firepower of the attackers.
“The bandits came into the town determined to carry out their mission. The chairman’s security team put up resistance, but they were outgunned,” the resident said.
The source disclosed that the gunmen initially abducted the chairman, his wife and their children during the raid.
He, however, said security operatives who pursued the attackers succeeded in rescuing four or five of the children, while the chairman remained in captivity.
“They kidnapped the chairman along with his wife and children, but security personnel later rescued some of the children. Unfortunately, the chairman was taken away,” he said.
The resident added that reinforcement teams were mobilised to the area but arrived after the attackers had escaped.
“The security personnel tried their best, but by the time reinforcements got there, the bandits had already executed their plan and fled,” he said.
He attributed the increasing frequency of attacks in the area to the sophisticated weapons used by the bandits and the activities of informants who allegedly assist the criminal gangs.
“They don’t give any warning before attacking. They come heavily armed and in large numbers. Despite the efforts of security forces, they still managed to escape with the chairman,” he added.
The resident appealed to the Federal and Zamfara State governments to strengthen security in Bungudu and other vulnerable communities to curb the activities of armed bandits.
“Our people resisted alongside the security forces, but the bandits overpowered them. They carry sophisticated weapons that ordinary people cannot match. We appeal to the authorities to do more to protect lives and property,” he said.
Efforts to obtain official confirmation of the incident from the Zamfara State Police Command were unsuccessful. Calls and a text message sent to the command’s spokesperson, DSP Yazid Abubakar, were not responded to as of the time of filing this report.
