Bandits abduct Zamfara council chair, kill policemen, vigilantes

Bandits have abducted the Chairman of Bungudu Local Government Area in Zamfara State, Nigeria, following a violent attack on his residence in Bungudu town. The assailants killed two police officers and two members of the vigilante group providing security at the chairman's home during the Friday night raid.

Nura Umar, the council chairman, was abducted along with his wife and children. However, the bandits later released his family, allowing Umar to choose between his own freedom and that of his relatives. A family member, Anas Ibrahim, confirmed that Umar opted to remain in captivity. "The bandits gave the chairman the option to choose between releasing him or his family and he chose to be in captivity. All the family members are now back home and waiting for further information or directive from the bandits," Ibrahim said.

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The bandits gave the chairman the option to choose between releasing him or his family and he chose to be in captivity. All the family members are now back home and waiting for further information or directive from the bandits.

Family members voiced frustration over the perceived slow response of security forces. Ibrahim stated that distress calls were made, and the incident was publicized on social media, but no security agents, apart from those attached to the residence, arrived until after the bandits had departed. "When the bandits arrived at the chairman’s house, we called the security agents for a rescue operation and also posted the incident on social media but, unfortunately, up to the time the bandits left the place, nobody came to the scene," he lamented.

An eyewitness, Abdullahi Na, Allah, described the bandits as numerous and heavily armed, engaging in a fierce gun battle with the chairman's security guards before abducting him and his family into the forest. Efforts to reach the spokesperson for the Zamfara State Police Command for comment were unsuccessful as of the time of filing the report. No official statement had been released by security agencies regarding the incident.

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When the bandits arrived at the chairman’s house, we called the security agents for a rescue operation and also posted the incident on social media but, unfortunately, up to the time the bandits left the place, nobody came to the scene.