Bandits have killed 17 people in Rimi village within the Yankari Game Reserve forest in Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
Thousands of people including women, children and the aged have equally begun to flee their homes following deadly attacks by armed bandits in many villages in the LGA.
The villages are around the newly discovered oil field in Alkaleri LGA.
A resident of Yashi village, Babawo Abdullahi told Daily Trust that the bandits stormed the village and opened fire on people shortly after Jum’aat prayers last Friday.
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Abdullahi said the troops stationed in Duguri village were mobilised to the forest after the Rimi attack, adding that they had successfully tracked down the bandits and killed many of them on Saturday.
Investigation reveals that the prevalence of mining activities in many villages, which attracted mining companies into Alkaleri was instrumental to the increase in the number of bandits coupled with a large and saturated thick forest of Yankari Game Reserve, which now becomes a safe haven for these people terrorising residents of the villages, making brisk business from ransom collection.
In a telephone interview, the Chairman Alkaleri branch of the National Youth Council, Comrade Bala Mohammed Duguri, however, said the bandits stormed Rimi village on board over 300 motorcycles armed to the teeth and opened fire sporadically on the residents killing 14 people.
“It was on Friday around 3pm shortly after Ju’maat prayers when the bandits stormed Rumi on board 300 motorcycles and cordoned off the village and opened fire killing 14 people and burnt down over 70 houses during the attack because they circle the village. The bandits also burnt down a Toyota Hilux and a tractor during the attack. The gunmen rustled hundreds of cattle and took them away during the unfortunate attack,” Mohammed said.
“Yesterday, (Saturday) we accompanied the district head of Duguri to Rimi village to commiserate with the people to condole them over the attack and we also received some of the internally displaced persons (victims) from Rimi to distribute relief materials to alleviate their suffering,” Mohammed added.
On their part, Bauchi State Police Command has denied the report of the attack and killing of the people in Alkaleri.
The police Public Relations Officer, SP Ahmed Wakil said there was no attack or killing of people in the newly discovered oil communities in Bauchi State.
“The attention of the Bauchi Police Command has been drawn to viral media publications in some sections of the media dated 11th December 2022 alleging that ten people were killed in a week by kidnappers around newly oil-discovered field communities. The story is false in its entirety!,” Wakil said.
In a similar development, four traders from Zandam village in Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State were intercepted and killed by bandits on Sunday.
The Jibia LGA Chairman, Bashir Sabi’u Maitan confirmed the news to newsmen in Katsina.
He said the traders were killed when they were on their way to the Jibia weekly market, which opens every Sunday.
However, a reliable source from Zandam village who spoke on condition of anonymity said the bandits were on a reprisal attack.
“Yesterday (Saturday), some members of a vigilante group killed a Fulani man and today the bandits attacked and killed our people on their way to Jibia market.
“Five people were shot, four died on the spot while the fifth one, Malam Ibrahim Julius, sustained injury and is currently receiving treatment at a hospital. When contacted, the police spokesman in Katsina, SP Gambo Isah confirmed the incident, saying the injured person was admitted to General Hospital, Katsina.
Jibia Local Government Area is one of the LGAs suffering from security problems, which prompted the state government to announce the closure of the Jibia-Zurmi road in Zamfara State.
From Hassan Ibrahim (Bauchi) & Tijjani Ibrahim (Katsina)
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