At least three people were killed and 64 others abducted in Zamfara State on Saturday, November 15, 2025.
According to reports, the attack occurred at Fegin Baza village in Tsafe Local Government Area. Children and women were among those taken to unknown locations.
Four other victims sustained gunshot wounds and were rushed to Tsafe General Hospital. Among the dead was Umaru Moriki, an APC chieftain and Sarkin Fadan Moriki, who was reportedly killed along the Gusau-Tsafe Road while traveling to Kaduna.
The attack happened a day after the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Mohammed Matawalle, visited Zamfara and announced fresh troop deployments.
Matawalle had assured residents that “Zamfara will no longer bow to fear” and criticized the state for poor utilization of federal allocations.
Zamfara remains a hotspot for banditry, with recurrent village raids, highway ambushes, and kidnappings.
Despite military operations and peace initiatives, armed groups continue to operate across forested areas.
Recent months have seen communities in Zurmi, Shinkafi, Maradun, Tsafe, and Bungudu Local Government Areas heavily affected.
Witnesses said the Fegin Baza attackers numbered over 30 and rode motorcycles. They opened fire on Moriki’s vehicle and other cars.
Abdulrahman Ahmad Dole, a survivor, described how the bandits blocked the Gusau-Funtua Road and fired from multiple directions.
He escaped by fleeing into the bush and hiding in a primary school until soldiers arrived.
A local resident, Malam Musa Yusuf, said villagers had received prior intelligence about the attack.
Vigilantes defended the village, forcing the bandits to change their plan and attack the highway instead.
Two abductees from Fegin Baza were later released after a ransom payment of N500,000.
Ambassador Husseini Moriki confirmed receiving word of Umaru Moriki’s death shortly after the attack. Matawalle attended the late APC chieftain’s funeral prayers at Tudun Wada Juma’at Mosque in Gusau, describing Moriki’s death as “a monumental loss to the state and the nation.”
Later on Saturday night, another bandit group attacked areas near Gusau, including behind the NTA station and Bulunku, abducting residents.
Eyewitnesses said gunfire caused panic in the neighborhoods.
The Zamfara State Police Commissioner, Ibrahim Maikaba, did not respond to calls seeking comment on the incidents.