Bello Abdullahi, the elder brother of the abducted Chairman of Bungudu Local Government Area in Zamfara State, Nura Abdullahi, has died from gunshot injuries he sustained during the bandit attack on the chairman’s residence.
The attack, which occurred on July 25 in Bungudu town, saw armed bandits abduct the local government chairman alongside two other residents after killing four security personnel attached to him. The late Bello Abdullahi, a former treasurer in the Zamfara State Ministry of Finance, was reportedly among residents who rushed to the chairman’s residence to offer assistance during the attack when he was shot.
His death was confirmed on Monday by Jamilu Bungudu, a media aide to Abdulmalik Zubairu, the member representing the Bungudu/Maru Federal Constituency. With his death, the number of fatalities linked to the attack has risen to five. As of the time of reporting, the Bungudu Local Government chairman, Nura Abdullahi, and the two other abducted victims remain in captivity.
The kidnapped victims were identified as Halliru Soja, a staff member of the Federal Medical Centre, Gusau, and Hussaini Naira, a POS operator. The four security personnel killed during the attack were identified as Inspector Basiru Lawal, Police Constable Hamza Muhammad, and two vigilantes, Nura ADC and Ibrahim Baare.
Bungudu Local Government Area, located about 21 kilometres from Gusau, has experienced repeated attacks by armed bandits in recent years. In April, gunmen riding on more than 50 motorcycles attacked Yarkatsinan Laka village, killing two police officers, two health workers and a patient after raiding a security outpost and a clinic.
Several rural communities in the area, including Karakkai and Gwargwabe, have also suffered repeated attacks, with homes burned, residents killed and food storage facilities destroyed, worsening the humanitarian situation in the area.