• NDC raises alarm over IEDs on Zamfara roads

No fewer than 30 people have been reported killed, an unspecified number injured, and over 50 houses and food barns set ablaze by suspected terrorists who invaded Jwak Maitumbi community in Mangu Local Council Area of Plateau State on Sunday.

In a similar development, the Zamfara State chapter of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has condemned the reported planting of an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) by suspected bandits along the Gurusu–Gwashi Road in Bukkuyum Local Council Area.

Confirming the Maitumbi carnage to newsmen yesterday, a resident of the community, Lonji Zuhumnan, said the gunmen numbering over 100 and armed with sophisticated weapons stormed the community at about 7:30 am, shooting sporadically for several hours.

Zuhumnan, who is also a youth leader in the village, stated that apart from those killed or injured, residential buildings, shops, churches and huge quantities of crops in silos were also destroyed during the attack.

He added that security operatives did not respond to distress calls until the gunmen had finished their mission.

However, a counter-insurgency publication, Zagazola Makama, which corroborated the report, said the incident prompted the deployment of troops to the affected community.

Citing an anonymous military source, the publication said that the troops discovered about 45 houses already destroyed and valuables belonging to residents looted by the assailants.

“In the early hours of the attack, several residents were gunned down by the attackers before slaughtering them,” Makama stated. “The attack immediately triggered mass displacement, with women, children and the elderly running for safety.

“The assailants also reportedly entered farms belonging to Fulani residents and used cutlasses to destroy a large quantity of crops.

“Following the incident, troops summoned the Galadima and youth leader of Jwak Maitumbi community, directing the community leadership to assist security agencies in identifying and producing those responsible for the attack.

Meanwhile, a statement by the NDC Publicity Secretary, Alkasimu Kayatawa, noted that this development signifies a dangerous escalation in the security crisis confronting Zamfara State.

“The adoption of IEDs on public roads by criminal elements introduces an even more terrifying dimension to an already devastating conflict and places innocent motorists, commuters, farmers, traders and security personnel at grave risk,” he said.

Citing the reported deployment of 30 commissioners of police for the Osun State election, and Nigeria’s capacity to mobilise massive security resources whenever it considers an assignment a national priority, the NDC wondered why the country cannot “demonstrate the same urgency and scale of mobilisation to protect the lives of citizens in Zamfara State.

“Elections are important to democracy, but the protection of human life is the first responsibility of government. The people of Zamfara should not be made to feel that securing ballot boxes attracts greater national urgency than securing their lives, homes, farms and highways,” it added.

Calling on the federal government and security agencies to urgently reinforce security operations across Bukkuyum and other vulnerable parts of the state, the party warned that the emergence of IEDs on the roads demands an immediate review of security strategy, including a stronger security presence along vulnerable roads and communities.

“We equally call on the Zamfara State Government to intensify collaboration with federal security agencies, strengthen community-based intelligence gathering and ensure that affected communities receive the protection and support they desperately need,” it stated.