In a rare display of bravery, a family in Zamfara State, Nigeria, successfully thwarted a kidnapping attempt and killed one of the attackers. The incident took place while the family, on their way to Kano, 193.84 miles from their home in Zamfara, for wedding preparations, were ambushed by a two-man team of gunmen along the highway that links Talata Mafara town and Zamfara’s capital city, Gusau.
The gunmen were “blocking the road and halting vehicles,” said an eyewitness to PRNigeria. According to the report by PRNigeria, the bride-to-be’s family, along with other travellers on the bus, refused to be easy targets. Realizing the danger, they rallied and fought back against the attackers as they were about to march to a surrounding bush with the bride-to-be, her parents and two other relatives.
In the ensuing struggle, the unarmed travellers managed to overpower one of the kidnappers and killed him. The remaining kidnapper fled the scene, abandoning his firearm. They picked up the firearms and handed them over to the military at a nearby checkpoint.
This incident highlights the ongoing security challenges in some parts of Nigeria, particularly in the northwest region. Kidnappings for ransom have become a persistent threat, targeting civilians, and disrupting daily life. The act of courage by the passengers demonstrates the growing boldness of Nigerian citizens against terrorists, given the utter failure of the Nigerian authorities to protect lives and properties.
—Ezinwanne Onwuka reports for TruthNigeria from Abuja.
