Bandits stage comeback in Taraba mountain, hoist flag

Bandits have reportedly hoisted a red flag on a mountain in Zing local government area of Taraba state.

Daily Trust learnt that the bandits staged a comeback in recent weeks into the area located between the boundary of Taraba and Adamawa states.

A resident of the area, James Samuel, told our correspondent that the bandits once occupied the area but were chased away by combined effort of local hunters and security agents late last year.

“The bandits occupied the area the same period of harvesting last year, but were dislodged after weeks of battle with local hunters and security agents and now they have started returning,” he said.

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According to him, the locals started noticing movement of the bandits on motorcycles about nine days ago and hinted local hunters.

“As I am talking to you, the bandits are on top of the mountain and they even hoisted a red flag and we alerted our hunters and they have engaged the bandits in a battle,” he said.

The Taraba state chairman of Hunters Association, Adamu Dantala, corroborated Samuel’s stance, adding that he got the hint from residents

Dantala further stated that hunters have been mobilized to the area.

Contacted, police public relations officer of Taraba police command, SP Usman Abdullahi, said the police had not received report of movement of suspected bandits into the state.

“Police has not receive such report and men of Operation Safe Taraba have been stationed at strategic points to monitor movement of suspicious persons,” SP Usman said.

Daily Trust had reported how hundreds of bandits took over many mountain areas in Zing, Yorro and Ardo-Kola LGAs of Taraba last year.

It took days of combined effort of local hunters and other security agencies to dislodged the bandits.