Bandits Storm Market, Rustle Over 500 Cattle in Zamfara

By Tgnews Reporter

Armed bandits raided Kasuwar Daji Market in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State, stealing more than 500 cattle in a nighttime operation.

The attack targeted the region’s largest livestock market, where animals from various sources—including imports from Niger Republic—are gathered weekly before being transported mainly to Lagos.

Comrade Aminu Garba, Chairman of the Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria in Zamfara State, described the incident as a recurrence, recalling a similar raid about four years ago.

“Nobody expected this to happen, but we experienced a similar unfortunate incident about four years ago,” he said.

Witnesses said the bandits, numbering over 50 and possibly more than 100, were heavily armed with sophisticated weapons. They reportedly scouted the market and surrounding areas during the day before striking at night and driving the cattle toward the western part of Kasuwar Daji village, escaping into nearby forests.

Alhaji Sani Yaba Ajiyan Fawa, one of the affected owners, said the stolen cattle belonged mostly to local breeders known as ‘Yantugu’. About 60 animals were later recovered after some scattered during the chaos.

“It is very difficult to control large animals in such a chaotic situation. The ones that were returned were those that scattered during the operation,” Ajiyan Fawa explained.

Victims noted that security operatives stationed less than 200 metres from the market did not respond until after the bandits had fled.

Comrade Aminu attributed the vulnerability partly to a lack of prompt alert from market guards and cattle handlers.

“The people taking care of the cattle are not sufficiently exposed to seek timely intervention from security personnel,” he said.

The rustled animals belonged to multiple owners, some jointly owned, and all properly marked. The association is currently deploying internal measures to recover the stolen cattle.

The incident highlights the ongoing threat of banditry in Zamfara State, where cattle rustling continues to threaten livelihoods and rural trade. Authorities are yet to comment on recovery efforts or arrests.