Hundreds of youths blocked the Gusau-Sokoto highway to protest incessant attacks by armed bandits on their communities in Mayanchi and neighbouring villages.
The youths set bonfires on the road, effectively stopping the flow of traffic, but they were later dispersed by security agents who shot and wounded three.
Mayanchi, a district under Maru Local Government and 62kilomtres from the state capital, Gusau, has come under a spate of deadly attacks from bandits operating in most parts of the state, residents said.
A Thursday evening attack by the bandits left two people dead in Gargin Sarkin Yaki village.
As residents were preparing to observe Magrib prayers on Thursday, over 100 bandits stormed Garkin Sarkin Yaki village on motorcycles, killing one Alhaji Musa Adamu, who was performing ablution outside his home, and his nephew, Ibrahim Dayyabu, Dateline Nigeria gathered.
The bandits also stole hundreds of cattle and sheep, before setting fire to people’s houses, in the village located less than two kilometers from the Gusau-Sokoto highway.
Residents said Thursday’s attack was the fourth in a series of what has become a daily nightmare for the villages.
“Irked by the killings and stealing of their means of livelihood, youths in their hundreds blocked a portion of the Gusau- Sokoto highway, holding placards and calling for an end to attacks on their communities,” a resident who does not want to be named for security reasons told Dateline Nigeria.
Eyewitnesses said the protest led to a massive traffic build-up along the busy highway, as the demonstrators insisted that their plight must me addressed.
How security agents shot three
“The protest was peaceful and that is why I can’t understand why they had to shoot some people,” an eyewitness said.
Different sources put the number of the protesters shot at three.
“We passed by the protesting youths as we went to bury Alhaji Musa and his nephew, Ibrahim, who were killed the day before and there was no sign of trouble other than just a group of aggrieved youths asking for an end to violence that is trying to wipe them.
“Coming back, we saw that the soldiers had already shot three people. Two of them were rushed to the hospital while the third one was taken to the palace of the district head. I saw him there crying,” another resident who craved for anonymity for fear of being targeted said.
Balarabe Musa, whose father was killed in Thursday’s attack, gave the names of those allegedly shot by the security forces as Shafi’u Abubakar, who was shot in the leg; Sani Mohammed, shot in the hand and Yahaya Aliyu, shot in the head.
Musa, who is a youth leader and chairman of People Living with Disabilities in Maru Local Government, said the victims were taken to Mayanchi Primary Healthcare for treatment.
An eyewitness said the soldiers arrived the scene around 10.30am
Bandit attacks which started almost 10 years in Zamfara State have claimed many lives and caused thousands to flee their homes.
The state government entered into a dialogue with the bandits last year and, with a view to bring a lasting peace, disbanded vigilante groups accused of perpetrating a round of killings through extrajudicial execution of suspected bandits.
Residents said the peace deal has collapsed as killings, kidnappings and cattle rustling are still going on almost on a daily basis, noting that the bandits did not agree to disarm in the first place.
The state government has insisted that that the process is working. Governor Bello Matawalle was aired on BBC Hausa recently, said the state was now peaceful and people could travel to any part of it without any fears.
Attempts to speak to the Zamafara police command spokesperson, SP Shehu Mohammed, failed due to network connection problem.
