Residents of some communities in Zamfara on Thursday staged a protest and blocked the Shinkafi–Kaura Namoda highway following the killing of several people by suspected bandits.
The incident reportedly occurred at Kaiwa Lamba village along the highway, where the assailants attacked residents of Ukku village and neighbouring communities.
Sources said that the exact number of casualties had yet to be ascertained as of the time of filing this report.
Eyewitnesses said the attack triggered anger among youths in the area, who blocked the road and disrupted vehicular movement in protest against the recurring security challenges in the area.
The protesters were also reported to have set bonfires on sections of the highway and attacked some vehicles belonging to travellers.
A traveller who witnessed the protest told NAN that the situation caused panic among road users and left many stranded.
According to the witness, there are more than 14 military checkpoints along the route, while a military formation is located less than five kilometres from the affected community.
The traveller, however, expressed concern that no security intervention had reached the area at the time of the protest.
Efforts to obtain official confirmation from security authorities were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
