Nineteen local vigilantes and dozens of bandits lost their lives in a bloody clash that occurred in Katakaki Forest, under Kakangi Ward of Birnin Gwari Local Government Area in Kaduna State.
The incident, which took place around 4pm last week Saturday about 10 days ago, was said to be one of the bloodiest clashes between vigilantes and bandits in the Birnin Gwari area according to local sources.
Daily Trust gathered that over 40 bandits were reported to have died in the gun battle between them and the vigilantes when the bandits attacked villagers on their farms.
Shehu Randagi, a youth leader in the area, who confirmed the incident, mentioned that 19 bodies of the bandits were recovered in the bush, while the remaining bandits took away their dead in an attempt to hide their identity.
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“It was a bloody clash in which 19 of our vigilantes died, while two others are missing. We also discovered 19 bodies of the bandits inside Katakaki Forest.
“The villagers around Dogon Dawa Daji, a community located near Niger State border, informed us that they counted over 40 bodies of the bandits being conveyed on motorcycles by their colleagues after the clash,” he said.
Shehu Randagi emphasised that the residents are the ones protecting themselves from bandits, as there is no security outpost in the southern part of Birnin Gwari.
The chairman of Birnin Gwari Emirate Progressive Union (BEPU), Ishaq Kasai, also confirmed the incident and said information at their disposal shows that the bandits recorded massive casualties.
He said the bandits attacked the villagers while working on the farms but the local vigilantes engaged them which resulted in the casualties from both sides.
He also said trucks and farm produce were also destroyed during the clash.
There was no official reaction from the state Police Command’s Public Relations Officer ASP Mansir Hassan as his phone failed to be connected and he was yet to reply to text messages sent to his number as at the time of filing the report.
