Lilo village in Mada District of Gusau Local Government Area of Zamfara State came under attack on Tuesday, forcing hundreds of residents to flee their homes and seek refuge in a neighbouring community.
It was learnt that the gunmen struck hours after about 30 settlements within the village had been deserted by locals who claimed they could no longer see troops deployed in the area to protect them.
Daily Trust could not independently verify whether the soldiers were withdrawn or stationed somewhere else.
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Some residents, who spoke to our correspondent at a camp, said they abandoned their communities for fear of bandits' attack after they noticed the absence of security.
One of them, Muhammad Sani Abdullahi, said, "Bandits overran the village a few hours after security agents left. We are appealing to the government to save our village. They are setting our village ablaze. The government should help pursue them before they destroy our homes.
"The military operatives had escorted us to Gusau to purchase essential items for our daily needs as usual but around 11 pm on Monday, we noticed they were nowhere to be found. We don't know the conditions of the remaining people left in the village who insist that they have nowhere to go."
Long battle with insecurity
A resident, who pleaded anonymity, said Lilo has been battling security threats for years, adding that troops were drafted to the village in June 2019 by the then-Governor Bello Matawalle, two days after he assumed office.
"The troops were in the village for over seven years. There were more than 60 personnel of the combined forces. Last night, around 10pm, we saw two Armoured Personnel Carriers and a Toyota Hilux evacuate the troops.
"A security officer told me they were leaving for fear of bandits' ambush as the rainy season set in. There is a river which gets filled up when it rains, making the village in accessible for reinforcement. Last year during the rainy season, the personnel were ambushed and six of them were killed. The troops called for reinforcement but couldn't get help due to the poor road network," he said.
He explained that more residents living around Mada and Birnin Magaji had relocated to Lilo village for more than seven years.
"We are not far away from bandits' camps. Some were even living on our farmlands. Some bandits' camps were not more than 3 kilometers away from Lilo village. The communities fully cooperated with the troops, and due to their presence, we have enjoyed peace for the last seven years. Their only challenge is the fear of bandits' attack and a lack of an accessible road network for reinforcement.
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"About 30 communities have moved to the state capital but authorities are making efforts to accommodate them at a nearby village," he stated.
The Zamfara State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Yazid Abubakar, who confirmed the incident, said the Commissioner of Police, A. M. Bello swiftly responded by deploying a police tactical team with the backup of two police Amour Personal Carriers.
"With the presence of police personnel, normalcy has been restored to the area," he added.
Captain David Adewusi, the Media Information Officer for Operation Fansan Yamma (OPFY), the joint task force in North-West, said he was not aware of the military personnel's withdrawal and promised to make enquiries.
Efforts to get comments from the Zamfara State Government on the incident were unsuccessful. Suleiman Bala Idris, the spokesperson for Governor Dauda Lawal, did not respond to phone calls or messages sent to his phone and WhatsApp at the time of filing this report.
