Insecurity: Zamfara has been left to its fate since 2015 - Mahdi Shehu

Social commentator Mahdi Shehu has accused successive governments in Zamfara State of abandoning residents to years of killings, kidnappings, and economic hardship.

Shehu made the allegation in a post on X on Sunday while reacting to the killing of 12 members of the same family by bandits in Gidan Taba village, Maradun Local Government Area of the state.

The victims were reportedly killed after the gunmen set their room on fire during an attack on the community on Saturday night.

The attack occurred in Dosara Birnin Kaya Ward, where the assailants reportedly targeted the family of Mallam Muhammadu Sani.

Reacting to the incident, Shehu described Zamfara’s experience since 2015 as one marked by bloodshed, trauma, displacement and economic hardship.

He blamed what he described as the failure of the political class to protect residents.

He alleged that successive governments had left citizens to fend for themselves without adequate social support.

“The people have continued to suffer from killings, kidnappings and other forms of violence, with many families paying huge sums to secure the release of their loved ones,” he said.

Shehu said the latest killing of the 12 family members was another attack on innocent villagers struggling to survive.

“The murder and burning of 12 family members to death is yet another circle of violence against innocent villagers who are struggling to eat anything they find by chance,” he said.

He expressed concern that government responses to such incidents often amounted to condolences and promises of action, without lasting results.

“Beyond distant condolences and empty promises of action, nothing will happen, and the killings will resurface, perhaps with increasing courage from the heartless murderers,” he wrote.