Bandits kill groom, abduct bride, others in Zamfara

From Abdullahi .A Chakwa, Gusau

Bandits have killed one Muhammad Sani a groom that just married last week Maru town, the headquarters of Maru local government area of Zamfara state, abducted his bride and six others.

A resident of Maru town Malam Usman told journalists that, the bandits went to Maru town last in the night where they entered into the newly wedded family house with the intention of kidnapping the couples.

The bandits according to Usman did all they could to take the groom to the forest but he refused to follow them, as such they shot him in the head where he died instantly.

Usman said, “The bandits tried to abduct the groom (Mohammed Sani) but unfortunately he refused to follow them”.

“I was listening when they asked him to ride on one of the motorcycles but he insisted that he would not go to the forest”.

“When the bandits realized that he was really not ready to follow them, one of them shot him, killing him instantly”.

Usman said, they kidnapped his newly wedded groom and seven other persons comprising four males and three females.

Maru town is among the local government headquarters in Zamfara state that was seriously devastated by bandits’ attacks.

Recall that, the divisional police officer, Kazeem Raheem, two police officers and the Chief Iman of the town Imam Salisu Sulaiman were killed by bandits some times ago.

Similarly many people of the town were killed while several others have been kidnapped.

Millions of Naira were also paid to bandits as ransom by the Maru community.

Hundreds of the inhabitants have fled the town and relocated to other places for fear of bandits attack.

The Emir of Maru, HRH Gado Maigari had narrowly escaped being killed by the bandits who invaded his palace, shooting sporadically in a bid to abduct him.

Frantic efforts to talk to the spokesperson of the state police command ASP Yazid Abubakar failed as he could not be reached on phone at the time of filing in this report.