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| Photo used to illustrate story |
No fewer than 48 security operatives including soldiers and members of the Joint Task Force (JTF) have reportedly lost their lives in a deadly ambush near Shinkafi Local Government Area, Zamfara State.
The attack, carried out by armed Repentant bandits under the command of infamous warlord Bello Turji, has sent shockwaves across the country.
The ambush, which occurred over the weekend, is being described as one of the deadliest in recent memory. In a disturbing viral video making rounds online, Bello Turji is seen surrounded by his men, celebrating over the lifeless bodies of the slain operatives.
According to sources within the security sector, some of the gunmen involved in the attack had previously been rehabilitated through a state amnesty programme under former Zamfara governor Bello Matawalle. This revelation has reignited concerns over the effectiveness and long-term security implications of granting amnesty to armed criminals.
This massacre follows a recent Amnesty International report, which revealed that over 10,000 Nigerians have been killed by gunmen since President Bola Tinubu assumed office. Despite assurances of enhanced national security under his administration, the situation has grown increasingly dire, especially in the North-West and Middle Belt regions.
Amnesty International stated, “A new investigation shows that, in the two years since the current government has been in power, at least 10,217 people have been killed in attacks by gunmen in Benue, Edo, Katsina, Kebbi, Plateau, Sokoto, and Zamfara States.”
Most of the victims, the report highlighted, were farmers whose displacement has severely disrupted food production, worsening Nigeria’s food insecurity crisis.