As hundreds of angry and distraught citizens poured into the streets on Wednesday to voice their alarm over what they described as daily mass killings by bandits in Gusau Local Government Area, the centre of Zamfara’s capital came to a standstill.
Key routes leading into Gusau were stopped for more than two hours by the protesters, who were on foot, riding motorbikes, and inside cars.
Waving placards and chanting depressing protest songs, they called on the state administration to act immediately to stop the unbridled violence that has been raging in their communities for months.
Some of the placards bore chilling inscriptions like, “We the people of about 30 communities of Gusau need peace and want to be rescued from bandits,” and “Peace is our concern as we are being killed every day. “End banditry in Mada, Lilo, Ruwan Bore, Fegin Baza, Bangi, others.”
Many protesters said they came from villages now considered uninhabitable due to frequent attacks.
Mada, Ruwan Bore, Fegin Baza, Bangi, Lilo, Wonaka, and Fegin Mahe were among the communities where locals say gunmen strike almost daily, killing, abducting, and stealing without restraint.
“We are tired of crying,” said Abubakar Abdullahi, a protester from Fegin Mahe, whose pain was raw as he recounted his losses.
“Our communities are in danger, and no one from the government has come to sympathize with us since this crisis intensified about three months ago.”
Abdullahi, a farmer and businessman, said he had not only lost family members but also suffered massive financial losses. According to him, bandits looted 500 bags of fertilizer from his shop, each worth ₦65,000, amounting to more than ₦1m in damages.
Protesters also lamented that they could no longer go to their farms, despite the ongoing rainy season.
After the killings, they said, the attackers have destroyed homes and food supplies, leaving them in hunger and fear.
While the protest remained peaceful and no property was damaged, several of those who took part vowed not to return to their communities unless the government responds swiftly and decisively to their demands.
In a response to the demonstration, the Chairman of Gusau Local Government Council, Hon. Abubakar Iman represented by Aminu Wakili Mada acknowledged the concerns raised.
He confirmed the intensity of attacks in places like Mada, Ruwan Bore, and Fegin Mahe and said the government was working with security agencies to restore peace.
“We are aware of the suffering of our people,” the chairman’s representative said.
“The state government is committed to ending these attacks, and security personnel will soon be deployed to the most affected areas.”
He also assured that further engagement with affected communities was underway as part of the state-wide security response.
