Residents of Shinkafi local government area in Zamfara State have cried out due to the constant blockade of roads by bandits.
21st CENTURY CHRONICLE reports that two main exit routes from the local government headquarters have been consecutively blocked for three days.
It gathered that Shinkafi – Kaura Namoda – Gusau and the Shinkafi – Isa – Sabon Birni have been the worse hit.
A resident of Shinkafi, Mohammed Humility, told this reporter that he escaped by the whiskers on Wednesday when he tried going home from Gusau, the state capital.
“The bandits have completely blocked the roads, barricading us from going out or coming into the town. They started from Tuesday, Wednesday, and even Thursday,” he said.
A motorist, Adam Barau El-Duniya, said he was forced to abandon his business trip halfway due to a sudden attack.
“The bandits closed down the Badarawa Junction to Birnin Yero as well as the Moriki to Boko Junction. While we were returning back, I saw more than five vehicles on fire. And Wallahi I’ve seen some people lying helplessly. A civil servant, Engr Silame had the vehicle he was traveling in riddled with bullets by the bandits and if it was not by God, he would have been dead by now,” he said.
He said there were more than 13 abandoned vehicles on the road from Shinkafi to Kaura Namoda alone.
“I can say at least 20 people have been abducted, including four on the Shinkafi-Kaura Namoda road and three on the Shinkafi-Isa road. We know these people and their families. This happened on Thursday,” he added.
Another indigene of Shinkafi, who declined to give his name, said he has forgotten when last he visited home due to the incessant attacks.
“My parents are there but they are the ones that are even asking me not to come. Before when we had a telecommunication network, I would call them every day but now we’ve all resorted to prayers. But for how long?” he said.
A lawyer, Nasir Shehu said he had already reached Kaura Namoda on Tuesday when he was asked by some ‘good Samaritans” on the road to go back.
“They told me security agents were in a gun battle with bandits. I waited for two hours in Kaura Namoda town but I couldn’t continue because I was informed that there were many bandits. I had to return to Gusau,” he said.
All efforts to get the reaction of the police wasn’t fruitful, for the spokesperson of Zamfara Police Command neither answered calls put through his mobile line nor replied to the SMS sent to him.
