Soldiers Foil Bandits’ Attack in Zamfara, Rescue Kidnapped Politician, Family

Premium Times

Soldiers supported by vigilantes on Saturday night rescued a politician and his family members after engaging bandits in a gun battle in which “several bandits” were killed.

Sources in Gusau, the state capital of Zamfara State, told PREMIUM TIMES on phone that the politician, Aminu Adamu, had been abducted in his house in Mareri quarters of the city.

Mr Adamu, who is popularly known as Papa, is the Managing Director of the Zamfara State Transport Authority and a close ally of Governor Bello Matawalle.

A resident of the area, Zayyanu Muhammad, told this reporter that the bandits came on their motorcycles and stormed the Mareri quarters, where Mr Adamu lives with his family.

“Papa was not the target. It was Barrister Hafiz Sufyan that they targeted but he was not at home. It was around 12:30 a.m and even when they went into Papa’s house they kept asking him the whereabouts of his neighbour, Barrister Hafiz Sufyan, but he told them he was not in town. They said they were informed that Barrister was at home.

“They then took him and his family members. By then, people of the area had informed the vigilante members on the main road, who confronted the bandits,” he said.

Mr Muhammad added that the vigilante members pursued the bandits outside the quarters, forcing them to release the politician’s two wives and children and flee with him.

Another source , who lives in the area, Ashafa Sani, said he heard heavy gunshots as soldiers engaged the bandits.

“I was watching films around 1 a. m. when I started hearing heavy gunshots. It was terrifying but thanks to Allah, the man has been saved,” he said

Mr Dani said Mr Adamu was shot twice on the leg during the gun battle and has been taken to the hospital.

“I think when the soldiers came and it was obvious that they had been rounded up, the bandits decided to kill Papa because they shot him twice in the leg. The soldiers rescued him and taken him to the hospital. I was at the hospital this afternoon to see him because he is my neighbour,” he said.

Mr Muhammad said many bandits were killed, including a woman.

“Their corpses are at Federal Medical Centre, Gusau. I saw the dead bodies all of them were young people. We were told that only two of the bandits escaped,” he added.

Source: Premium Times