Insecurity: How 90 people were killed in Zamfara bloody crisis

No fewer than 90 people killed in Zamfara bloody clashes have been buried as number of casualties still remain unknown.

Reports of the attacks were given by displaced persons, officials and residents of the affected communities.

The state government has closed down the four major markets to prevent retaliation from vigilante groups.

The markets are Magami Market in Gusau Local Government, Dansadau Market in Maru Local Government, Wanke Market in Gusau Local Government and Dauran Market in Zurmi Local Government.

The state government has however been silent on the casualty figures as it called on the security agencies to do more to provide security in vulnerable communities.

Those who live in Magami have said they buried over 60 corpses on Friday morning after an earlier report of the discovery of 53 bodies. The residents have said the whereabouts of many is still unknown.

The Chief Imam of the town, Sanusi Na’ibi, presided over the funeral prayer. Most of the corpses were brought in from surrounding villages but some resident said remote areas that could not move their corpses to the town held separate funeral prayers and burials.

A source who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES said, “Gusau Local Government Area is the worst affected because the assailants attacked to kill and not loot”.

The State Commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Dosara has said on Thursday that “Security agencies are hereby directed to ensure strict compliance. They are also ordered to deal, ruthlessly, with anyone found violating law and order within and around the affected markets”.

He continued that the government has “noted with dismay, the callous act of terrorism meted to innocent people carrying out their legitimate businesses”.

Residents said the attacks had persisted due to the absence of security agents in the most affected areas. They said this has encouraged extrajudicial killings and reprisal attacks between vigilante members and bandits.

They said the assailants carried sophisticated weapons and raided the villages on motorbikes, adding that most of the villages had been deserted following incessant attacks until some villagers started returning for the farming season.

Aminu Suleiman, the sole administrator of Bakura local government has said over 30 people were killed in Bakura and Maradun.

Mr Suleiman said the deaths were recorded over days of reprisal attacks between members of outlawed vigilante groups and bandits.