Zamfara State government has refuted a story circulating in some media that 40 persons have been killed and 60 kidnapped at Tungar Baushe village, in Maru Local Government Area of the state.
The Deputy Chief of Staff, Government House, Bashir Muhammad, debunked the report while addressing reporters on what exactly transpired in the two affected communities.
He described the said report as fake news and blatant falsehood dished out by enemies of peace and the state.
The Deputy Chief of Staff, Zamfara State Government House, Bashir Muhammad, told reporters that what happened was that a group of suspected bandits stormed Tungar Baushe village on Tuesday, March 2, to fuel their motorcycles through intimidation and coercion.
They also seized some foodstuff, drugs, water, soft drinks, among others, before they left.
He said they also invaded the Ruwan Tofa community where they met with stiff resistance, ambushed, and many of the bandits were killed by the locals, while others escaped with injuries.
The Deputy Chief of Staff also disclosed that the military had recently arrested an army officer and his girlfriend who have been supplying military uniforms and ammunition to bandits in the bush.
Muhammad appealed to reporters to always verify their information before dishing it out for public consumption in order to avoid spreading fake news, which will embolden the criminals and escalate the insecurity.
In another development, the Zamfara State government has sent a delegation to sympathize with the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Zamfara State Council, over the burning of 10 shops by hoodlums.
The state government delegation was led by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Bashir Muhammad.
He promised to renovate the affected shops and assist the victims of the inferno to recover.
