Angry residents burn Zamfara Emir’s palace during protest over insecurity

Some angry residents burnt a section of the palace of the Emir of Zurmi in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State during a protest against incessant attacks by bandits in the area.

Premium Times reports that the protesters, who were mostly from vulnerable rural communities in the area, converged on Friday at Zurmi town for the protest, alleging that security agents and the emir, Atiku Abubakar, were not doing enough to protect them.

A resident who asked not to be named told Premium Times that the bandits had vowed not to allow the locals to farm as the rainy season approaches.

During the protest, the protesters reportedly deposited in the emir’s palace the corpses of persons killed by gunmen and set ablaze a section of the palace after the emir allegedly failed to address them.

The police spokesperson in the state, Muhammad Shehu, in a statement, said the police were concerned about the rising spate of attacks by bandits in Zurmi Local Government Area.

The spokesperson said

“the command has deployed additional tactical operatives to Zurmi and its environs to overcome the rising security challenges in the area.

“The operatives have since left Gusau to Zurmi, and they were directed to remain there until normalcy is restored. They were also directed to arrest all criminal elements that have been making lives of innocent people unbearable,” he said.