At least seven individuals are feared to have lost their lives in a harrowing assault by armed bandits on the divisional headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force in Zurmi town, the administrative center of Zurmi Local Government Area in Zamfara State.

According to reports from Vistanaij Media, the bandits launched their attack on Sunday evening, claiming the lives of seven individuals, including a police officer.

Babangida Zurmi, a native of the town, expressed his concern to journalists, stating that he had been unable to contact any of his relatives as of 9:45 pm.

“As of now, I haven’t been able to reach anyone in the town, as their phone lines are switched off. This suggests that the bandits are still present. We urgently require assistance from the relevant authorities,” said Zurmi.

Another source from the area revealed that the bandits had targeted the town as retribution for the killing of two individuals by local vigilantes in the region.

The source further disclosed that numerous shops had been set ablaze, and the divisional headquarters of the police in Zurmi had been completely destroyed.

In a separate incident, another group of bandits operating in the Maradun Local Government Area claimed the lives of four individuals and abducted several others.

According to sources, the four victims were fatally shot by the bandits while they were clearing vegetation along the roadside.

Yazid Abubakar, the spokesperson for the Zamfara State police, confirmed the attack, stating that he was in the process of gathering information regarding the assault in Zurmi.