Bandits have attacked Rini town in the Bakura Local Government Area (LGA) of Zamfara State.

Eyewitnesses told Channels Television on Friday that the armed men stormed the town at about 2:30am and started shooting sporadically.

While residents were said to have refused to come out of their homes despite heavy gunshots renting the air, the bandits abducted many locals numbering over 60.

The police authorities in Zamfara State confirmed the incident, although they did not give the actual number of residents kidnapped by the bandits.

But the command’s spokesman, Mohammed Shehu, said the police had deployed several tactical operatives in the town with a view to rescuing the abducted persons.

A source said several appeals had been made to the government to provide more security reinforcement for the people of Rini.

The attack on Rini comes barely a week after bandits invaded the College of Agriculture and Animal Science, also in Bakura LGA.

During the attack which occurred at about 11pm on Sunday, the gunmen killed a policeman and two watchmen before they gained entry into the school.

State authorities later confirmed the abduction of 15 students and four staff of the institution who were forcefully taken away by the assailants.

The incident was condemned by the state governor, Bello Matawalle, who assured the families of the victims that they would return safely.

The bandits were said to have contacted the school management to make a demand of N350million as ransom for the victims to be released.

The criminals later released a video in which the students were seen begging the government to heed the demand of their captors who threatened to kill them if the money was not paid.