At least four residents of Gwargwaba village in the Nahuce District of Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State were killed on Thursday evening after suspected bandits attacked the community.
The attackers reportedly set several houses on fire, burning the victims alive inside their homes. The News Chronicle gathered that the assault occurred at about 6pm when heavily armed bandits stormed the village, unleashing terror on residents.
Confirming the incident on Saturday, a security alert platform, Bakatsine, disclosed that four villagers were burned to death during the raid. The attackers also set ablaze multiple houses, food storage facilities, and livestock, leaving behind widespread destruction and displacement.
According to Bakatsine, the attack was triggered by the community’s refusal to comply with illegal levies imposed by the armed group.
Such extortion practices have become increasingly common across rural communities in Zamfara State and other parts of northwestern Nigeria, where bandits demand taxes under threat of violence.
Condemning the incident, Bakatsine expressed concern over the growing trend of deadly attacks linked to bandit extortion, questioning how long rural populations would continue to suffer brutal reprisals simply for rejecting unlawful taxes enforced at gunpoint.
Zamfara State remains one of the epicentres of banditry in Nigeria, recording repeated cases of village raids, mass kidnappings, killings, and destruction of property, despite ongoing military operations aimed at restoring security in the region.
