Suspected bandits have abducted the Chairman of Bungudu Local Government Area in Zamfara State, Nura Umar Bungudu, following a deadly overnight attack on his residence that left four members of his security detail dead.
The attack occurred in the early hours of Saturday in the Zango area of Bungudu, less than 20 kilometres from the state capital, Gusau. According to residents, heavily armed gunmen stormed the chairman’s home and engaged security personnel in a fierce gun battle before taking him away to an unknown destination.
Those killed during the attack were reportedly two police officers and two local vigilantes assigned to protect the council chairman. Some reports also indicate that members of his family were caught up in the attack, with security operatives rescuing several children during the pursuit of the gunmen. However, the chairman and some relatives remain in captivity.
Security agencies have launched a rescue operation to locate the abducted chairman and apprehend those responsible. Authorities have yet to announce any arrests, but efforts are said to be ongoing across the area.
The latest incident adds to a string of violent attacks in Zamfara, one of Nigeria’s worst-hit states by banditry. Despite ongoing military operations, communities across the state continue to face kidnappings, killings and attacks on public officials, raising fresh concerns about security in the North-West.
The abduction of a serving local government chairman has also renewed calls for stronger protection of public officials and rural communities, many of whom remain vulnerable to attacks by armed groups operating across the region. As rescue efforts continue, residents are hoping for the safe return of the chairman and an end to the persistent insecurity affecting Zamfara State.
