Armed group kills security volunteer and 10 relatives in Zamfara
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on TimesLIVE
An armed group killed a local security volunteer and 10 members of his family in Gidan Taba, in Nigeria's Zamfara State, before setting their home on fire and abducting 13 people. Nigerian police deployed forces to try to secure the hostages' release, according to Reuters.
Gunmen killed a local security volunteer and ten members of his family before burning their bodies and home in the village of Gidan Taba, in Maradun district, north-western Nigeria. They also abducted 13 people during the weekend attack, Zamfara State police spokesperson Yazid Abubakar said on Monday, as quoted by Reuters.
According to Yazid Abubakar, the volunteer belonged to a government-backed self-defence group and had regularly helped security forces repel incursions by criminal gangs into the community. The attackers reportedly regarded him as an obstacle to their activities before killing ten other members of his family and setting their home on fire, Reuters reports.
Security forces have been deployed to the area and are seeking the release of the 13 abducted people, according to Zamfara police as quoted by Reuters. States in north-western Nigeria are regularly hit by attacks by armed groups that abduct residents for ransom, kill civilians and loot homes.
