According to reports from the affected area, armed attackers stormed the farming community and opened fire at close range on adults who were working on their farms. The assault left over 25 people dead while several others remain missing. Some of the farmers who managed to escape sustained life-threatening injuries during the attack.
The incident has thrown several communities in the ward into mourning and fear, with residents saying the level of violence continues to escalate despite repeated assurances of improved security.
In a statement issued in Gusau, Engr. Ibrahim Shehu Bakauye said the attack on Sauna Ruwan Gora Ward was another sad reminder of the security challenges facing Zamfara communities.
He said such killings have been going on across Zamfara State on a daily basis, with many communities left constantly bracing up for the next attack.
"Such killings have been going on across Zamfara State on a daily basis, with many communities left constantly bracing up for the next attack," he said.
The PDP governorship candidate described the incident as barbaric and unacceptable, adding that farmers who should be contributing to food production are now being targeted in their own fields. He noted that the repeated attacks have crippled agricultural activities in many parts of the state and worsened hunger and poverty among rural families.
Engr. Shehu Bakauye mourned with communities in the area that bore the brunt of the assault. He listed Zauren Goro, Tulluwa, Unguwar Shanu, Tsangaya, Tudun Namali and Tungar Dahiru as some of the villages where the assailants killed residents, rustled livestock and forced many villagers to flee into nearby bushes.
According to him, the attackers did not only take lives but also destroyed livelihoods by carting away animals and burning property. He said many families are now displaced and taking refuge in neighboring towns with little or no support.
He prayed to Allah to accept the souls of those killed as martyrs and to reward them with paradise. He also prayed for an end to the mentality behind such acts and for peace to return to Zamfara.
"May Allah accept their shahadat and grant them Aljannah firdaus. May He also end this barbaric mentality in our state," he said.
The PDP candidate urged both the state and federal governments to take immediate and decisive steps to end the wave of attacks in Zamfara. He said the protection of lives and property remains the primary responsibility of government and that citizens can no longer continue to live in fear.
He called for increased deployment of security personnel to vulnerable farming communities, improved intelligence gathering, and better coordination between security agencies and local communities. He also urged the government to provide medical assistance to the injured and relief materials to families displaced by the attack.
Engr. Shehu Bakauye further stressed the need for accountability, saying that those responsible for the killings must be tracked down and made to face the law. He argued that silence and inaction only embolden attackers and deepen public frustration.
The attack in Talata Mafara is the latest in a series of violent incidents reported in Zamfara in recent months. Farming communities across the state have repeatedly come under attack, leading to loss of lives, destruction of crops and mass displacement.
