Twelve members of the same family have died after armed bandits set their residence on fire during an attack on Gidan Taba village in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
Seven other residents were also abducted during the attack, which happened on Saturday night in Dosara Birnin Kaya Ward.
A resident, who spoke to Daily Trust on condition of anonymity, said the attackers invaded the home of one Mallam Muhammadu Sani at about 10pm.
According to him, 13 members of the family locked themselves inside a room in an attempt to escape being kidnapped. Those trapped included Sani, his two wives and six children, as well as his younger brother’s wife and their three children.
The resident said the bandits ordered them to open the door but set the room on fire when they refused.
Only the wife of Sani’s younger brother reportedly escaped, while the remaining 12 occupants died from the intense heat and fire.
He said the community immediately contacted the Maradun Local Government Chairman, Sanusi Ahmed Dosara, who tried to reach security agencies for assistance.
However, the resident expressed disappointment that no security personnel arrived before the victims were killed, despite the community’s proximity to military and police formations.
“We informed the local government chairman, Dosara, and he tried all he could to reach the security personnel. He told us he had spoken with different security formations, but nobody came to our rescue,” he said.
Another resident confirmed that seven people were abducted during the attack and remained in the custody of the bandits.
He also disputed reports of police reinforcement in the village, saying officers only visited to obtain information about the incident before leaving.
The Maradun Local Government Chairman, Sanusi Ahmed Dosara, described the incident as heartbreaking.
Dosara, who led the funeral prayers for the victims on Sunday, said the attackers set the room ablaze, causing the occupants to die from the intense heat.
“The bandits set the room ablaze. They were not burnt because the fire engulfed the roofing, but the horrible heat resulted in their death,” he said.
The chairman also confirmed that some residents were abducted but said local vigilantes engaged the attackers in a gun battle and secured the release of some captives.
However, the Zamfara State Police Command put the death toll at 11.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Yazid Abubakar, confirmed the attack, saying the command received a report from the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the local government.
He described the head of the family as an active member of the community’s vigilante group who had helped defend the village against bandit attacks.
Abubakar said the police had deployed additional personnel to the area to protect residents.
The attack is the latest in a series of violent incidents in Maradun and other parts of Zamfara State.
Barely a week earlier, bandits ambushed security personnel at Gidan Kano along the Gusau-Sokoto highway, killing five police officers.
The officers were travelling in a Zamfara State Transport Authority bus to provide security during the APC Zamfara North senatorial rerun primary.
In another incident around Tungan Tama, telecommunications workers were reportedly ambushed, leaving one person dead and others injured.
Between May 1 and November 7, 2026, several communities across Zamfara State recorded attacks that killed residents, security personnel and travellers, while many others were abducted or displaced.
The affected areas include Gusau, Anka, Maru, Talata Mafara, Tsafe, Maradun, Gumi, Bungudu, Bakura and Bukkuyum.
Among the reported incidents, at least 10 people were killed in an attack on travellers along Magami-Dansadau Road in Maru LGA on May 10.
In June, about 39 elders were abducted during a peace meeting with a notorious bandit leader identified as Jammo in Magami/Faru Ward.
The elders had reportedly gone to negotiate an end to attacks and secure access to their farmlands.
On June 12, at least 17 farmers were killed and 13 injured in an attack on Goran Namaye community in Maradun.
An assessment by the International Organisation for Migration also documented widespread displacement across communities in Gummi LGA.
In August, attacks on several communities in the area left 14 people dead, 88 injured and 14,727 displaced, according to the assessment.
Other incidents included attacks on travellers along the Gusau-Funtua Highway in August, the killing of 14 soldiers and mobile police officers in Bindin Ward, Maru LGA, in October, and an ambush on traders travelling under military escort along the Gwashi-Nasarawa market route in Bukkuyum LGA.
A security expert, Dr Kabiru Adamu, has described the killing of the 12 family members as a targeted attack against a vigilante who had resisted bandit activities.
Adamu, Chairman of Beacon Security Consulting, told Daily Trust that the incident showed how armed groups were increasingly targeting individuals and communities that stood up against them.
“What happened in Gidan Taba was a targeted retaliation against a vigilante who stood up to bandits, and it ended with 12 members of his family killed,” he said.
He warned that such attacks could discourage other communities from defending themselves against armed groups.
“It shows us that gunmen are now punishing community resistance. When you kill a man for defending his village, you are telling every other village not to resist. That is how community defence collapses,” he added.
Adamu also expressed concern that political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections appeared to be receiving more attention than the worsening security situation.
He called for stronger security measures, improved intelligence gathering and accountability among security agencies at both federal and state levels.
The expert also urged authorities to focus on preventing attacks rather than responding only after lives and property had been lost.
Another security analyst, Dr Yahuza Getso, questioned the response of security agencies to the attack, demanding an investigation into how the bandits operated and escaped without being challenged.
He raised questions about the distance between the community and nearby security formations, whether distress calls were received and what action was taken.
“We have a lot of unanswered questions that we are supposed to ask ourselves. What is the distance between Gidan Taba and the local government headquarters? Is there an accessible road linking the community? Was there any distress call, and if there was, what action did the security agencies take?” he asked.
Getso also called for an investigation into possible support networks sustaining banditry, including people who allegedly provide armed groups with ammunition, food and shelter.
“Who is providing them with ammunition, food, shelter and other necessities? There is collaboration between those carrying arms and some community members who serve as informants,” he said.
