A deadly overnight raid by suspected bandits has left five people dead in Talata-Mafara LGA of Zamfara State, including former local government sole administrator, Hon. Saminu Suleiman Morai.
The armed group stormed Morai village in the early hours of Monday, April 15, and held residents hostage in a harrowing siege that stretched from 1:00 a.m. to 3:25 a.m. Several people, including members of Morai’s household, were abducted during the attack.
Among those killed was Alhaji Akilu Liman, a former councillor who served under Morai’s leadership.
Security analyst Zagazola Makama, citing intelligence reports, disclosed that the attackers were a terrorist faction based in Bayan Ruwa, Maradun Local Government Area.
The armed men were reportedly summoned by members of the Jandutsi Fulani community.
“The bandits were invited to retaliate against the alleged unlawful allocation of grazing areas in the Jandutsi forest to Hausa farmers by the Talata-Mafara council chairman,” Makama said.
It is alleged that plots of the disputed land were sold for N50,000 each to the Hausa settlers, further fueling ethnic tensions and raising concerns over corruption and abuse of office.
“This incident has heightened existing tensions between Fulani herders and Hausa farmers in the region, with the Jandutsi community reportedly seeking revenge for the alleged land sale, which they claim deprived them of vital grazing grounds,” Makama added.
The gruesome killings have triggered public anger and demands for a thorough probe into the land transactions and retaliatory violence.
“Many view this incident as emblematic of the larger crisis of land disputes and corruption that continues to fuel conflict in the northwest, with politicians and their associates accused of exploiting vulnerable communities for personal gain.”
Security forces have since launched operations in the area to track down the attackers. The deceased have been laid to rest in line with Islamic burial traditions.