Zamfara Finance Director And His Family Taken Hostage By Bandits

In the early hours of Tuesday, bandits raided the residence of Malam Sabiu, a director in the Zamfara State Ministry of Finance, abducting him, his wife, and two children. The incident took place at Damba Housing Estate in Gusau around 1:30 am.

According to Auwalu Garba, a resident of the area, the armed bandits, equipped with sophisticated weapons, targeted Sabiu’s house upon their arrival in the community, seemingly acting on a specific directive.

Garba reported, “Upon their arrival in our area, no shots were fired, and they refrained from entering any other houses. They directly proceeded to Sabiu’s residence, broke the door, entered the bedroom, and kidnapped him and his wife. Subsequently, they moved to another room, abducted two children, and then retreated into the forest.”

The bandits later released Sabiu’s wife due to alleged ill health.

Efforts to contact the police spokesperson in the state, Yazid Abubakar, were unsuccessful as he could not be reached on his mobile line.

Damba Housing Estate, a part of Gusau town, the Zamfara State capital, has experienced multiple bandit attacks. Over the past four years, numerous individuals have been kidnapped in the area, prompting many residents to relocate to safer locations, fearing further attacks by the bandits.

In February 2022, terrorists invaded the estate, kidnapping the wife and two children of another Finance Ministry director, Sirajo Hassan. During the incident, two vigilantes sustained gunshot injuries, leaving the residents in constant fear of persistent terrorist attacks. Calls have been made for security agents to intervene and provide assistance to the affected community.