Bandit Attack Claims 2 Lives, 40 Kidnapped In Defence Minister’s Hometown

A harrowing incident occurred on Saturday night in Janboka, the hometown of Minister of State for Defence Bello Matawalle, where bandits killed two individuals and abducted approximately 40 others.
Residents reported that the majority of those taken were women and children from the Maradun Local Government Area in Zamfara State. This attack follows a recent incident where ten kidnapped individuals were released after a ransom of N10 million was paid.

Witness Ibrahim Haru recounted the chaos as terrorists opened fire indiscriminately upon entering the community. He noted that a headcount the following morning revealed around 40 residents were missing. Among the deceased were Malam Isah and a teenage boy, both of whom were reportedly killed while attempting to escape.

Haru expressed frustration that the attack occurred despite the presence of local security personnel, highlighting an alarming trend of increasing violence in the Maradun area. This region is notably the hometown of Mr Matawalle, who previously served as the governor of Zamfara State.

Zamfara State police spokesperson Yazeed Abubakar informed PREMIUM TIMES that he had not received updates regarding the incident.