Bandits abducted Nura Abdullahi, the chairman of Bungudu Local Government Area in Zamfara State, after a violent attack on his residence in the early hours of Saturday.
According to local sources, the attackers, reportedly in large numbers, stormed Bungudu town and went directly to the chairman’s home, where they engaged his security detail in a fierce gun battle. Two policemen and two members of the local vigilante group were killed during the exchange.
Abdullahi Na Allah Said, a resident who spoke to the press, confirmed that the bandits abducted the chairman along with his wife and children, fleeing with them into the forest. Security personnel at the scene attempted to repel the attackers but were unable to prevent the kidnapping.
Efforts to reach the spokesperson of the Zamfara State Police Command for comment were unsuccessful.
In response to the incident, troops from Operation FANSAN YAMMA have intensified search and rescue operations. Lt. Col. Aliyu Danja, spokesperson for the Joint Task Force (North West), stated that soldiers responded swiftly to the attack and engaged the assailants, forcing them to abandon five of their captives—including two children, the chairman’s mother, his wife, and another relative—who were subsequently rescued. However, the chairman remains in captivity as the attackers escaped into the surrounding bush.
The Army also confirmed that the attack resulted in the deaths of two policemen, one vigilante, and a civilian, while the chairman’s elder brother, Alhaji Bello Umar, sustained injuries.
A coordinated search-and-rescue operation involving the military, police, Department of State Services, and local vigilantes is ongoing. Security agencies have assured the Zamfara State Government and residents that all resources are being deployed to secure the chairman’s safe release, urging the public to stay calm and provide credible information to support the operation.
