Bandits, on Tuesday, attacked a mosque in Gusau, capital of Zamfara state, and abducted scores of worshippers.
The attack was carried out when Muslim faithful were observing the famous congregational prayer, Tahajjud.
Tahajjud is a special prayer being observed by Muslims in every last 10 days of the Holy Month of Ramadan.
Zamfara has been under intense attack since bandits began their campaign of violence in the North West State.
Exactly a week ago, Governor Dauda Lawal held talks with President Bola Tinubu over the alarming increase in banditry and related criminal activities in the state.
According to a statement by the spokesperson of the Zamfara governor, Sulaiman Bala Idris, Lawal briefed President Tinubu on the security situation in Zamfara, particularly the resurgence of attacks in some local government areas.
Tinubu and the governor reportedly discussed various strategies and measures to tackle the challenging situation, including enhanced security deployment, intelligence gathering and community engagement programmes.
The meeting also highlighted the need to address the root causes of the problem, such as poverty and unemployment, which have contributed to the rise in criminal activities in the state.
“Today, Governor Dauda Lawal met with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa to discuss critical issues concerning the security situation in Zamfara State.”
“During the closed-door meeting, Governor Lawal informed the President that, over the past 13 years, Zamfara State has emerged as the hub of banditry in northwestern Nigeria.
“The Governor appealed to President Tinubu for presidential intervention in providing the military with adequate personnel, weapons, and logistics, as they are insufficient in Zamfara. He also requested sufficient air support to assist ground troops.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured the governor of his commitment to providing all essential support and logistics to the security forces to guarantee the restoration of peace in Zamfara.
“Furthermore, the President reaffirmed his administration’s position against negotiating with bandits and paying ransoms to kidnappers, actions that he believes only serve to empower them,” the statement read.
