Bandits abduct passengers and burn vehicle in Zamfara

Thursday, January 2, 2025 - Bandits have abducted passengers and burnt their vehicle in Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara State. 

The bandits are said to have ambushed the vehicle around 8am, on Tuesday, Dec. 31, while conveying passengers to Shinkafi from Gusau, the state capital. 
The incident occurred at Kwanar Jalab village in Zungeru Ward, Shinkafi LGA. 

A resident of Shinkafi said: “The bandits abducted all the passengers on board the vehicle before they set the car ablaze. We are suspecting that the 10 people, including the driver, were abducted. 

“This is a strange method of operation in this area. Before this incident, bandits have never set a car ablaze after abducting its passengers. Of course, they do kidnap people along the road, but they have never burnt vehicles after an operation.” 

The notorious bandits’ kingpin, Bello Turji, had threatened to launch attacks in response to the arrest of his relatives. It is not clear if this incident is as a result of the threat. 

Turji had, in a recent video that went viral on social media platforms, threatened to attack Zurmi and Shinkafi in Zamfara state and Isa local government in Sokoto state by January 1st if his relatives who were allegedly picked up by security operatives at the hospital in Shinkafi were not released. 

Turji’s father in-law was reportedly among those arrested at the hospital. 
A former governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, has urged the federal government to do everything possible to stop the notorious bandits’ kingpin, Turji from carrying out any attack in response to the arrest of his relatives as he threatened. 

Bafarawa, who was speaking to newsmen at his Sokoto’s residence on Tuesday, Dec. 31, urged the government to take his threat seriously and do something to protect those people from being attacked. 

“I believe the government is aware of his threat, they should therefore prepare for him. They should not let him make good of his threat. 

“He said he would start attacking some communities by January 1st but even today (Tuesday) he attacked some commuters along Jangeru-Chikki Road. 

“He shot some and burnt their vehicle. The victims are currently in the hospital,” the former governor revealed.