Grief and anger swept through Talata Mafara Local Government Area (LGA) on Friday following a deadly terrorist attack on Ruwan Bore village that left 17 people dead.

Followimg the attack, Talata Mafara LGA chairman Hon. Yahaya Yari publicly rebuked the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Mohammed Matawalle, for failing to deploy promised soldiers to the state.

The incident has reignited frustration over insecurity in Zamfara state, with residents blocking the strategic Sokoto-Gusau highway for hours in protest.

Speaking during the funeral rites for the 17 victims in Ruwan Bore village, the Chairman of Talata Mafara LGA, Hon. Yari, directly addressed the Minister of State for Defence, a native of the state.

Yari urged Matawalle to brief President Bola Tinubu on the security situation being faced by the people of the area, saying the attack was the latest proof that the crisis remains uncontained.

The LGA chairman recalled a recent statement by Matawalle that 10,000 soldiers would be deployed to fight bandits in the state.

However, he said up till now, no soldier has been deployed.

In a pointed warning, Yari told the minister to remember that everyone will stand before Allah and give an account on the day of Judgement.

“I am informing the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Mohammed Matawalle, that we have no one else in the Federal Executive Council except him, and he should do everything possible to fulfill the promise he made to the people of Zamfara State that soldiers would be deployed to restore peace in the state,” Yari said.

Moving away from partisan lines, Yari said the killings demanded accountability over politics.

“I have nothing to do with politics, I swear to God. But what happened to the people of Ruwan Bore village, I must strongly criticise the Minister of Defence, Bello Mohammed Matawalle, because he is the only one we have in the Federal Executive Council, and nothing has changed regarding the security situation in Zamfara state,” he declared.

He added that it was time to put politics aside and end the security problem in Zamfara state, arguing that continued attacks have eroded public confidence.

The Ruwan Bore killings triggered immediate public outrage.

Residents of the area staged a protest and blocked the main Sokoto-Gusau road, bringing vehicular movement to a standstill.

Eyewitnesses said the road was shut with no entry or exit from morning until evening, as protesters demanded urgent government intervention to stop the cycle of bandit attacks in Talata Mafara and other rural communities.

The blockade of the highway, a key economic route linking Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi, underscores the desperation in communities that say they are left exposed to repeated raids.

Zamfara has been one of the epicentres of Nigeria’s banditry crisis for years, with villages frequently attacked, residents killed or kidnapped, and farming activities disrupted.

Minister Matawalle, who served as Zamfara governor between 2019 and 2023, has repeatedly pledged federal military action against bandits.

His announcement of a 10,000-troop deployment was welcomed by many residents, but local officials say it has not materialised on the ground.

Friday’s funeral for the 17 Ruwan Bore victims was attended by hundreds of mourners as Islamic rites were performed for the dead.

Community leaders in Talata Mafara said they expect immediate action from the Federal Government, with residents warning that further delay could lead to more protests and a breakdown of trust in government’s ability to protect lives.