A bandit attack along the Anka–Maru Road in Zamfara State has claimed the lives of a Civic Education teacher, Mallam Mustapha Maru of Federal Government College, Anka, and a newly admitted SS1 student, Summayah Abubakar.
According to reports, the victims were travelling from Maru Village to Anka when armed bandits ambushed their vehicle and opened fire.
Summayah was struck in the skull during the assault, while the driver sustained multiple gunshot wounds. She later died in hospital after being transferred from General Hospital Anka to UDUTH Sokoto.
The teacher, Mallam Maru, was abducted along with other passengers into the bush. Reports said the kidnappers later demanded ₦50 million and motorcycles, before reducing the ransom to ₦3 million.
Despite the family reportedly raising about ₦3.1 million through negotiations, the outcome turned fatal.
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A close associate of the deceased recounted the painful process, “They called Kabiru and demanded ₦50 million and five motorcycles… after some days, they suddenly reduced the ransom to ₦3 million. We never heard his voice again after three days of his being held hostage.”
The bandits later claimed the teacher was killed while attempting to escape, but relatives believe he was executed after payment.
Residents of Maru described worsening insecurity, lamenting that bandits frequently invade villages with sophisticated weapons and abduct people at night.
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Local officials confirmed the incident but noted gaps in reporting to security agencies, while police said they were not officially informed at the time.
The attack underscores the deepening insecurity in Zamfara’s rural communities, where kidnappings and highway ambushes remain frequent despite ongoing military operations.
