No fewer than 50 residents have reportedly been killed in a fresh attack by suspected terrorists on Dutsin Dan Ajiya village in Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The attackers, said to be armed with sophisticated weapons, stormed the community on Thursday evening and operated into the early hours of Friday.
According to a resident who spoke on condition of anonymity, the gunmen blocked all access roads leading into the village to prevent escape before opening fire indiscriminately on villagers.
“After blocking all the roads, the bandits started to shoot at sight and the villagers ran helter-skelter. After the attack, we realised that 30 people were killed; some were wounded, while several others are at large and nobody knows their whereabouts,” the source said.
However, international news agency Reuters quoted local sources as putting the death toll at no fewer than 50. A lawmaker representing Bukkuyum South constituency, Hamisu Faru, said the attackers raided the village from about 5:00pm on Thursday until 3:30am on Friday, burning buildings and shooting residents attempting to flee.
“They have been moving from one village to another … leaving at least 50 people dead,” Faru reportedly said.
A 41-year-old resident, Abdullahi Sani, said three members of his family were killed in the assault. He added that residents had alerted security agencies after sighting more than 150 motorcycles conveying the attackers but received no immediate response.
Viral videos circulating online showed corpses wrapped in white cloth in preparation for mass burial rites. Several residents were also reportedly abducted during the raid.
In a related development, an armoured personnel carrier (APC) of the Nigerian Army was reportedly destroyed by an improvised explosive device along the Keta–Dangibga road in Zamfara State. The incident occurred while troops were escorting civilian motorists along the volatile route.
A source familiar with the incident said the military convoy ran into a planted explosive device, which detonated and severely damaged the APC near a police mobile (Mopol 2) location.
Casualty figures from the explosion were yet to be officially confirmed as of press time, but the blast reportedly caused panic among travellers and nearby residents.
The Keta–Dangibga axis has witnessed repeated attacks by armed groups who frequently ambush security convoys and civilian vehicles, underscoring growing security concerns in Zamfara and other parts of the North-West.
Efforts to obtain official confirmation from security authorities were ongoing at the time of filing this report.
