Zamfara killings: We lost 105 people, says Emir

    
The Emir of Dansadau, Alhaji Hussaini Adamu, has said 105 people were killed by suspected Fulani cattle rustlers in Yargaladima village in Dansadau Emirate of Maru Local government area of Zamfara State within three days.

Adamu said this during the burial of 40 of the victims in Yargaladima, on Sunday.

Barely 48 hours after gunmen killed 22 people in two villages in the emirate; cattle rustlers killed 70 people in Yargaladima on Saturday.

The Emir told a delegation of top government functionaries which included the state governor, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari, who attended Sunday’s burial that “We lost a total of 105 people.”

It was gathered that the marauders which numbered over 70, swooped on villagers who were at a meeting to discuss the security situation in the area.

By the time the dust settled, police authorities said 79 persons were killed, a figure which the emir noted was lower than the 105 his subjects buried.

It was learnt that the remains of first set of over 70 killed on Thursday and Friday, were first deposited at the Dansadau General Hospital before they were buried on Saturday.

The Police Public Relations Officer, of the Zamfara State Police Command, DSP Lawal Abdullahi, had while confirming the attack earlier, said 30 people were feared dead with a number of people injured.

According to him, the Police Commissioner, Alhaji Ibrahim Bichi, has deployed counter terrorist squad to the area to forestall a re-occurrence.

Attempts to get reactions from the State Government were unsuccessful as at the time of filing this report.

A call to the mobile telephone number of the state Commissioner of Information, Alhaji Ibrahim Birnin Magaji indicated that it was switched off while the response to a text message sent to him was still being awaited as at the time of filing this report.