Police officials in Bukkuyum town in northwestern Zamfara State reported that more than 30 bodies recovered after a bandit attack on 28 October were likely those of the fleeing attackers. The bodies were found scattered across farms and forested areas the day after the gunfight, according to Zamfara State police spokesperson Yazid Abubakar who spoke to Xinhua by telephone on 1 November.
In a statement, Abubakar said that alleged bandits had attempted to capture the town yesterday and were met by security operatives. He described a gunfight that lasted several hours, with most of the attackers fleeing with gunshot wounds. “The corpses are believed to be those of the fleeing bandits due to the superior firepower of the security operatives,” he added.
The bodies were recovered a few days later when police and residents combed the farmlands surrounding Bukkuyum. Its appearance was described as “decomposed” and scattered, with security operatives finding them amidst crops and trees. The recovery operation was carried out by the state police command and local residents who helped clear the area.
Abubakar said that security operations were still ongoing in Bukkuyum to dislodge armed groups that have been operating in the region. He added that the police were continuing to conduct searches across the local government area to identify and neutralise potentially armed threat cells.
Banditry and kidnapping have been long‑standing problems in Nigeria’s northwest, and Zamfara State has seen repeated violent incidents. In February, an armed group riding more than 150 motorcycles attacked a community in Bukkuyum, firing indiscriminately at residents and setting several buildings on fire. The attack killed at least 50 people and left dozens of women and children abducted, according to reports from the same police command.
When the 28 October attack was reported, local residents were shaken but said they had not been a direct target during the gunfight. Several of the bodies recovered were from the periphery of the town, leading police to believe most of the attackers had fled then tried to regroup in the surrounding farmland before finally being pursued by state forces.
Police officials announced that the recovered bodies would be handed over to local forensic teams for identification and proper burial. They also stressed that the removal of armed groups from the area would prevent further attacks on the vulnerable rural population that had already suffered two major violent incidents earlier in the year.
According to Abubakar, the police will continue to use both ground teams and aerial surveillance to keep a watchful eye on movements near Bukkuyum. He said that the community’s cooperation with the police was instrumental in locating the bodies and help identify suspects.
The incident has highlighted the fragile security situation in Zamfara State and the urgent need for coordinated action against armed groups that frequently operate across state boundaries, causing loss of life and displacement of residents.