No fewer than seven persons have been killed in separate bandit attacks in Plateau State, while several passengers were abducted and vehicles set ablaze along major highways in Zamfara State.

In Plateau, residents said the attack occurred in the early hours of Friday when suspected armed bandits invaded affected communities, shooting sporadically and causing residents to flee for safety.

Eyewitnesses told sources that the assailants moved from house to house, killing seven persons on the spot, while many others sustained varying degrees of injuries.

A community leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the victims included women and youths, adding that several houses were also destroyed during the attack.

“We woke up to gunshots and people shouting. Before help could come, seven people had already been killed. Many residents have fled the community out of fear,” the source said.

Meanwhile, in Zamfara State, bandits reportedly blocked a major highway linking some communities, abducted passengers from commercial vehicles and set several vehicles on fire.

Sources gathered that the attackers operated for several hours without resistance, forcing motorists to abandon their vehicles while passengers were marched into the bush.

A resident of the area said the bandits later burned some of the vehicles after abducting the passengers, leaving travellers stranded.

“The road has become very dangerous. They stopped vehicles, took passengers away and burned the remaining vehicles,” the resident said.

Security operatives are yet to issue official statements on both incidents as of the time of filing this report.

However, efforts by source to reach police and security authorities in Plateau and Zamfara states were ongoing.

The latest attacks come amid renewed concerns over rising insecurity in parts of the North-Central and North-West regions, despite ongoing military and security operations to curb banditry and other criminal activities.