Suspected bandits have killed a newly wedded groom identified as Muhammad Sani Maru and abducted his bride along with six other people during an attack on Maru town, the headquarters of Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
An indigene of the area, Malam Usman, who witnessed the incident, confirmed the attack to journalists in Gusau, describing it as “a night of horror.”
According to him, the bandits invaded the town on Sunday night, storming the residence of the newlyweds with the intention of abducting them.
“The gunmen entered the house and asked the groom to follow them. He refused and told them he would not go to the forest. When they realized he wouldn’t comply, one of them shot him in the head, killing him instantly,” Usman recounted.
He added that the attackers went on to abduct the bride and seven others, including four men and three women, before fleeing into the forest.
Maru town has been one of the communities severely affected by repeated bandit attacks in Zamfara State. In previous incidents, the Divisional Police Officer of Maru, Kazeem Raheem, two police officers, and the Chief Imam of the town, Salisu Sulaiman, were reportedly killed.
The town has also suffered multiple abductions, with residents forced to pay huge sums in ransom. Hundreds have since fled the community to safer areas.
The Emir of Maru, Gado Maigari, narrowly escaped death in an earlier attack when gunmen invaded his palace, shooting sporadically in an attempt to abduct him.
When contacted, the spokesperson of the Zamfara State Police Command, ASP Yazid Abubakar, said the command was yet to confirm full details of the latest incident but assured that investigations were ongoing.
He urged residents to remain calm as police continue to monitor the situation.