BY GODWIN OBI At least 20 people were abducted when bandits attacked the Furfuri community in the Bungudu local government area of Zamfara Sunday night.
Among the kidnapped were two wives of a former Zamfara State Accountant General, Abu – Bello Furfuri.
However, sources said the two wives, Hajia Khadija and Hajia Ade, were rescued by members of a vigilante group in the area.
Frontline Reporters reported that two of her daughters and part of the domestic staff are still being held by the bandits.
The two kidnapped daughters are Zulaihat Abu – Bello and Zainab Abu – Bello.
The furfuri community is less than 10 kilometers from the capital city, Gusau.
Abdullahi Shehu, a resident of Bungudu city, said the bandits attacked the community at around 11pm on Sunday and went directly to the residence of the former accountant general.
“He (former accountant general) lives with his family in Furfuri even when he was an accountant general, so it is possible that the attack was deliberate because they went directly to his house when they entered the community.”
Although Shehu said Furfuri was at home when the bandits attacked, he said one of his domestic employees helped the man out of the house through a back exit.
He said other houses were attacked. According to reports, in one house, the bandits kidnapped eight brothers.
“What we know now is that 18 residents are with the bandits, including Zulaihat and Zainab, and three other domestic employees taken from the former AG (Accountant General) house. They took seven of them, but with the rescue of the two wives, he now has five people to save. The remaining 13 people were chosen from other houses. It could be more than that, but for now, here’s what we’ve compiled.”
Watchmen rescue wives
Frontline Reporters learned from an anonymous member of the former accountant general’s family that his two wives were, however, rescued by a surveillance team in the area.
He said that immediately after the attack, the vigilante members mobilized their men and followed the bandits.
“That’s how they do it,” he said. “Every time there is an attack, the vigilantes regroup and block or chase the bandits to see if they can rescue some of the kidnappers I didn’t see and the kidnapped doctors.
“Immediately the bandits left Furfuri, we alerted the vigilantes who went after the gunmen and because the wives are too weak to walk the distance to where the bandits had their motorcycles. ”
When asked how the vigilantes rescued the former official’s wives, the source said they only saw them (the vigilantes) return with the handcuffs in their truck.
He said that the wives have been given to her husband.
Contacted by this newspaper, Zamfara State Police Command spokesman Mohammed Shehu said he was in a meeting.
He, however, confirmed the kidnapping but gave no details.
“I’ll call you please,” he replied via SMS.
He did not call back after five hours and a reminder sent to him was not responded to.
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