Gunmen On 38 Motorcycles Invade Zamfara Village, Kill 32

More than 32 persons were reported killed in the early hours of
Tuesday when gunmen numbering about 150 attacked Kizara village in the
Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara.
The heavily armed gunmen, who came on 38 motorcycles, invaded the
village at about 4 a.m., shooting sporadically at anybody in sight.
An eye-witnesses told newsmen that the attackers set several houses
and shops in the village on fire.
The witness said that the gunmen moved fromhouse to house pretending
to be residents of the village and shouting for help.
He added that when people came out, the invaders either killed them
with their guns or with machetes.
The witness, who pleaded anonymity, said thatthe gunmen also invaded
the residents of the Village Head, Alhaji Lawali Muhammad, the Chief
Imam, Alhaji Usman Adamu, and his assistant, killing them.
The Commissioner of Police in Zamfara, Mr Usman Gwary, who visited the
village under tight security, confirmed that 32 persons werekilled
while the villagers claimed that 58 persons lost their lives.
The police chief told newsmen that he had mobilised his men to search
for the fleeing gunmen.
The Chairman of Tsafe Local Government Council, Alhaji Aliyu Abubakar,
told NAN that the villagers had been living in fear since suspected
men of the underworld sent a letter to the head of the vigilance group
threatening to kill him.
Following the attack also, several residents of the village were seen
fleeing the village for fearthat the attackers would return to kill
them.