A heightened security presence has been recorded on Sunday in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State following renewed reports of bandit activity and fears of further attacks on surrounding communities.
Sources said the development prompted the emergency evacuation of the family of a former lawmaker, Tijjani OD, from the area to Abuja under heavy security escort.
The operation reportedly involved a combined security convoy comprising four Nigerian Army Hilux vehicles, two Nigeria Police Force Hilux vehicles, and one Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, vehicle deployed to ensure the safe extraction of the family.
The development comes just days after suspected bandits invaded an off-campus residence of students of the Federal Polytechnic, Kaura Namoda, on the outskirts of the Low-Cost area of the town, abducting seven students during a late-night attack.
Similarly, a group known as the Concerned Citizens of Kaura Namoda recently raised concerns over the worsening security situation in the area, which it linked to the activities of a notorious bandit leader, Kachalla Bello Dansadiya, and his gang.
The group also cited the abduction of three residents and a district head from his residence located near a military base, alleging that the victims remain in captivity at a bandit camp around Dajin Yamma.
The latest development has further heightened concerns among residents over persistent insecurity in the area, particularly amid fears of possible coordinated attacks by armed groups.
Reacting to the reported evacuation, conflict reporter and crisis journalist Bakatsine, in a post on his X handle, questioned the apparent disparity in security protection available to ordinary residents and politically connected individuals.
“Four vehicles of the Army, two of the Police, and one of the NSCDC all to evacuate one politically connected family from Kaura Namoda LGA of Zamfara State to Abuja in the middle of the night.
Meanwhile, the ordinary people on that same street are left behind to face the kidnappers alone,” he wrote.
As of the time of filing this report, security agencies had yet to issue an official statement regarding the reported evacuation or the renewed security concerns in Kaura Namoda.
