TRAGEDY struck in Zamfara State earlier this week when motorcycle-riding gunmen believed to be cattle rustlers killed 36 miners at a goldmine outside Bindin village in northern part of the state.
In the first such attack of its kind, the armed men opened fire on the miners for no apparent reason and there appears to be no justification for their action. Governor Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari has condemned the attack in the strongest terms, describing it as an act of terrorism, adding that an investigation has been launched.
Local residents said it was just the latest deadly raid by cattle thieves on herding communities across the state. One local chief said the gunmen entered the mine tunnels, shooting dead the miners after killing traders standing at the surface.
“We have no doubt that the cattle thieves that have been terrorising us were behind the attack. We buried 36 bodies of those killed in the attack today, so for us, it is a day of mourning,” another local resident Lawwali Usmanu, said.
Zamfara State is known for its huge gold deposits and mines which are excavated using traditional methods. Many local herders and subsistence farmers turn to gold mining to boost their income.
However, rural communities in the state have long been plagued by cattle thieves, who kill villagers, loot and torch homes, prompting locals to form vigilante groups to fight off the gangs. In July, Nigeria deployed troops to rid the state of cattle rustling and other criminal activities.
Attacks by nomadic Fulani herdsmen on farmers have been a persistent headache for Nigeria this year, adding to security woes in a country already grappling with the Boko Haram Islamist insurgency. With cattle rustling now on the rise across northern Nigeria, there could be another front opening in the security war.
Comments
Post a Comment