Gunmen suspected to be armed robbers yesterday killed 23 people and injured many others in a reprisal attack on Dan Gulbi, Sabuwar Kasuwa, Biya and Guru villages of Dansadau Emirate in Maru Local Government of Zamfara State, survivors and security sources said.The attackers, who were armed with guns and riding motorcycles, were said to have stormed the two villages located over a hundred kilometers from the state capital, Gusau, around 1 am, and opened fire on male residents, during the attack that lasted several hours , witnesses said.Daily Trust gathered that one policeman and a woman were among those killed.The deadly attack which took place in the wee hours of yesterday was the recent in a series of retaliatory attacks by suspected armed robbers on a number of communities in the state.A team of police and vigilantes last month attacked the bandits in there hideouts in Dansadau emirate and dispersed them, before they regrouped and launched yesterday's reprisal attacks on the villagers who were caught unawares in their sleep.Also, in January this year, suspected armed robbers killed 15 Zamfara traders and burnt their bodies after their convoy had entered Rugu forest in neighbouring Katsina State. Unconfirmed reports said the robbers later apologized for the killing, saying they intended to attack local vigilante members.Survivors of yesterday's attack told our correspondent that the suspected armed robbers, who numbered about 80, invaded Dan Gulbi on motorcycles when residents were asleep and raided one house after another, killing people.Eyewitnesses said the raid had created panic in neighbouring villages, causing inhabitants to flee.A police Corporal, Auwalu Usman, who was shot in the buttocks, told Daily Trust on phone that 18 people were killed in Dan Gulbi, and that many people were injured and admitted at Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Gusau.'I cannot count how many of us are here, but I can say we are many because all the beds are occupied,' he said, adding, 'they numbered about 80 and all of them were carrying Ak-47 rifles.'Corporal Usman said he was on duty alongside two other policemen when the attackers opened fire on them at the local police station. 'We engaged them in a shoot out, but because they were many, they overpowered us. I was shot and my colleague was slaughtered,' he said.It was gathered that another man who was brought to the hospital with a bullet wound, also died. He was said to have lost a lot of blood.A 2-year-old boy, who was also shot in the chest, was among the victims admitted to the hospital yesterday.Another survivor, Alhaji Lawwalli Chindo Dangulbi, said his brother and his son's friend were killed, while his friend, Alhaji Ibrahim, was injured.According to him, the first person that was killed by the suspected armed robbers was one Alhaji Ahmadu Janzaki, at around 1:19 am. 'After killing him, they injured a woman in his house. From there, they went on invading houses and killing male occupants,' he said.He further disclosed that: 'They (the robbers) later began shouting for help to lure unsuspecting villagers by feigning as though they were the ones being attacked. You would hear them screaming 'help me; armed robbers want to kill me.' Anyone who went in that direction had been shot,' he said.Relatives of the victims told Daily Trust that the attackers did not rob anyone in the village and that even when one of the locals 'offered to give them money to spare his life, they told him to reserve it for his children and they killed him.'Yesterday's attack was believed to be a reprisal attack by armed robbery gangs who had suffered violent attacks in some communities last year.Zamfara State governor, Alhaji Abdul'aziz Yari Abubakar, his deputy governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Wakkala Muhammad and the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Usman Gwary, were said to have visited the affected villages, to condole with families of the victims and to assess the incident. They were still visiting at the time of filing this report.Meanwhile, all attempts to speak with the state police command spokesperson, ASP Sanusi Amiru, did not succeed as his number was not accessible. A police source in the state, however, confirmed that 23 people, including a policeman, were killed by the armed bandits. The source also disclosed that the commissioner led a team of policemen to the area, with the aim of tracking down the bandits.
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