Gunmen at the weekend  shot dead 34 people in Tungar Kafau and Gidan Wawa villages in Shinkafi district, Zamfara State. 

The gunmen, who  operated on motorcycles, also injured many people during the attack. A resident, Lawalli Madattai, said the gunmen opened fire on farmers. He said the dead were buried on Saturday, according to Muslim rites.

Madattai said the bandits stormed the villages and began chasing and firing at those who were fleeing the scene of attack.

The Zamfara State Police  public relations officer (PPRO) Mohammed Shehu, who confirmed that 34 people were killed, added  that: “Normalcy has been restored in Tungar Kafau and Gidan Wawa after the attacks; 34 people were killed by the bandits.”

Rural communities in Zamfara have for years been terrorised by criminal gangs who raid villages, steal cattle, kidnap for ransom and burn homes after looting food supplies.

The bandits are known to hide in camps in Rugu forest, which straddles Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and Niger states, from where they launch attacks on communities in the area.

In the latest attack, the bandits were said to have opened fire on farmers on their fields outside the villages and also pursued those who fled.

Meanwhile, the Enugu State Police Command yesterday rescued three women allegedly abducted by Fulani herdsmen along the Agbani-Ugbawka road on Friday.

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Suspected herdsmen were reported to have attacked a commercial bus playing the Agbani-Ugbawka-Nara road and abducted three women after robbing the occupants of the vehicle.

The incident was reported to the Agbani Police Division, who quickly dispatched operatives that went after the abductors.

A statement by the state police public relations officer, Ebere Amaraizu, said that the command has commenced investigation into the incident.

Amaraizu said three women abducted by the hoodlums, who he fell short of calling herdsmen, have been rescued and re-united with their families.

Amaraizu said in a statement, “the Enugu State command of the Nigeria Police have commenced a full-scale investigation into the incident of attack of a commercial bus and abduction of some victims by hoodlums along Agbani-Ugbawka road of Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State.

“It was, however, gathered that yet to be identified hoodlums had on 14/6/19 along Agbani-Ugvawka road allegedly struck at a commercial bus with some passengers plying towards the road and abducting three female persons after allegedly robbing the said bus and zoomed into the bush.

“It was further gathered that the operatives of Operation Puff Adder, acting on the directives of the commissioner of police, Sulaiman Balarabe, promptly raced to the scene and embarked on aggressive combing of the bush, which forced hoodlums to abandon their victims without payment of any money just as no ransom was demanded.

“However, no injury was sustained by victims who already have re-united with their various families.”