At least 28 people, including 20 miners, lost their lives on Thursday when armed bandits carried out coordinated attacks across several villages in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The assaults, which began around 11:30 a.m., struck the communities of Gobirawa Chali, Damaga, and Lugga.
Eyewitnesses described the raids as swift and merciless, with large groups of gunmen descending upon the villages.
Gobirawa Chali suffered the heaviest blow, where heavily armed attackers stormed a mining site, killing over 20 miners.
Reuters cited a local resident, Ismail Hassan, who reported that hundreds of gunmen opened fire on the miners, sparking intense fighting that resulted in many casualties.
Another resident, Isah Ibrahim, stated that 21 bodies were retrieved following the carnage, while many others sustained injuries.
In a statement released on Friday, Amnesty International confirmed the bloodshed, revealing that the assailants moved from house to house in Gobirawa Chali, slaughtering more than 20 residents.
The violence also spread to Damaga and Lugga villages, where five and three people were killed respectively.
A Lugga resident recalled that the attackers fired randomly at villagers and made away with livestock.
“They also attacked Damaga, killing five people. We are puzzled by this attack because it has been over a year since our last experience with the bandits,” the resident said.
Another source, who requested anonymity, noted that the death toll could have been much higher if not for the intervention of the military.
Troops on the ground, supported by an airstrike, engaged the bandits in combat, reportedly killing several of the attackers.
These incidents further underline the worsening security crisis in Zamfara State, where rural communities continue to suffer despite ongoing military efforts.
Meanwhile, Zamfara Police spokesman DSP Yazid Abubakar said he had not yet received a formal briefing on the attacks when contacted.