Attack on Zamfara Farmers Leaves 23 Dead

The number of people killed in a daylight attack by suspected bandits on farms in Sauna District, Talata Mafara Local Government Area of Zamfara State, has risen to 23. This was confirmed by community sources on Thursday.

Earlier reports said 16 people were killed. However, new accounts from Sauna District show the number increased after more bodies were found on the farms.

Residents shared that the victims were attacked while they were working on their farms on Thursday morning.

An indigene of the area, who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons, said the bandits came on multiple motorcycles. They shot at everyone they saw in the fields.

As soon as they reached the farmlands, they started firing without warning, killing all the farmers there.

“The assailants came in groups and shot at farmers without warning,” he said.

He mentioned that all 23 victims were buried in a mass grave at the palace of the district head in Sauna. The burial took place earlier on Thursday.

At the time of writing this report, security authorities had not released any official statement about the incident.

Attempts to contact the spokesperson for the state Police Command, DSP Yazid Abubakar, were unsuccessful. His phone number could not be reached.

Meanwhile, people in Sauna District and other areas of the state have faced repeated attacks on farming communities in recent years. Residents are often targeted while they work on their farms.