Gunmen Kill 32 in Kizara Village, Zamfara state

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News Thursday, June 20th, 2013

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.

PSN gathered that the heavily armed gunmen, who came in 38
motorcycles, invaded the village at about 4 a.m., shooting
sporadically at anybody in sight.

Following the attack also, several residents of the village were seen
fleeing the village for fear that the attackers would return to kill them.

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 from house 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 that the 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
were killed 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, said 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./PSN