Seven people have been killed while about 20 others were abducted by terrorists in an evening attack on Nasarawa Godel in Birnin Magaji Local Government Area of Zamfara State on Thursday.

Locals who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES said the terrorists came in Toyota Hilux vans, unlike the usual motorcycles they ride on.

“We have seven bodies in the last count. Several others are seriously wounded,” Tukur Yusuf, a resident of the area, told PREMIUM TIMES Friday morning. “Most of the abducted victims are women. The whole community has been thrown into confusion.”

The terrorists, believed to be from Gwaska Dankarami, stormed the community around 6 p.m. in three Hilux vans and went straight to the exit of the community.

"It was part of their deceptive plans,” he said. “When we saw them drive towards the exit towards Kasheshi Kura, our neighbouring village, most of us thought the terrorists were going to attack the other village.”

He said they circled through the outside route and began shooting indiscriminately when most of the vigilante members in the area had gone out to help Kasheshi Kura.

Another resident, who gave his name as Mubarak, said his childhood friend was killed during the attack.

“It’s barbaric how criminals will just come into a town and start shooting people. They operated for three hours without anyone to protect us,” he said.

PREMIUM TIMES could not reach the police spokesperson in Zamfara State, Yazid Abubakar. He didn’t respond to an SMS sent to him on the attack.

The northern part of Zamfara State, which shares boundaries with Katsina and Sokoto states and Niger Republic, is facing renewed terrorists onslaught.

In the last few days, the terrorists killed 13 people, including two police officers, and abducted about 40 people in separate attacks in Kaura Namoda and Zurmi areas state.

Two soldiers and a mobile police officer were also killed when the terrorists attacked a military camp in Dauran, also in the area.

Culled from Premium Times Nigeria