Motorcycle-riding terrorists ravaged the Zurmi Emirate Council complex on Wednesday, April 24, in Zamfara, North West Nigeria, destroying a telecommunications tower to prevent residents from notifying security agencies. 

The invaders attacked the council around 11:45 p.m. after a clash with grassroots security forces on the streets of Zurmi, a town in the state.

Witnesses told HumAngle that the terrorists wielded firearms and shouted at the top of their voices, “Where are the Community Protection Guards and the soldiers?”

The armed group would later abduct Buhari Yusuf, one of the top senior royal guards to the Zurmi Emirate monarch, Bello Muhammad Bunu. They also kidnapped three civilians who tried to call security agents for rescue.

“On the spot, they killed three among us,” one of the townspeople said. “They then went straight to the barricaded MTN network mast and set the entire area ablaze. They shot and vandalised the containers hanging on the MTN network tower just because they realised that we could call the military or the Community Protection Guards for help.” 

Residents said they envisaged the attack and alerted security agents, including the police, army and Department of State Services, but got no intervention. They had noticed suspicious movements of around 50 motorcycles loaded with armed terrorists.

The community guards tried to repel the attack but were overpowered by the terrorists, who had joined forces with other criminal groups in the town.

“Bandits have heavily attacked us,” one resident lamented. “I was trapped outside. This takes a dimension that seems like a coordinated attack on our people. The armed terrorists are showcasing their capacity and demonstrating their invincibility.”

A top security pundit in Zurmi told HumAngle it’s been nearly a week since a new brigade commander was deployed to the Kaura and Birnin-Magaji forest areas. “Zamfara needs reinforcement and immediate deployment of more military operations in the areas under attack,” they said. 

Several villagers interviewed by HumAngle believe the terrorists intentionally intensified the spate of attacks to negotiate with the newly elected governor of the state, Dauda Lawal. The townspeople, who are mostly farmers and petty traders, said the continuous attacks in Zurmi have negatively affected their lives.

“We have been forced to live difficult lives,” said Abarshi Garba, a farmer from the Kadamutsa village in the town. “Nowhere is safe for any of us.”

When contacted, Yazid Abubakar, the Police Public Relations Officer in Zamfara, said the force “received the report late due to obstruction from the telecommunication network from Zurmi”. He claimed Zurmi is now under control after they mobilised officers in synergy with the military personnel.