Villagers flee as bandits, Ansaru militants clash in Kaduna

Villagers from Old Kuyello village, under the Birnin Gwari LGA of Kaduna State, have fled their homes following a the outbreak of a clash between bandits and Ansaru militants in the area.

It was gathered that the villagers fled as bandits took over the community on Sunday around 3pm.

Local sources told Daily Trust that about five days ago, the bandits ambushed Ansaru militants operating in Old Kuyello and killed five of them.

The incident forced the Ansaru militants to retreat into the forest, allowing the bandits to invade the village and cart away foodstuffs belonging to the locals.

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Hadi Kuyello, a resident of the area and a community leader, confirmed the incident, saying many bandits were also killed during the gunfight with the Ansaru militants in the forest.

“As we speak, men, women and children are fleeing to safer villages because the bandits have invaded Old Kuyello village, carting away foodstuff,” he said.

Ishaq Usman Kasai, the Chairman of Birnin Gwari Emirate Progressive Union (BEPU), confirmed the incident.

There were no official statements from the state government and the police command in the state, as the command’s spokesman, Mansir Hassan, could not be reached by phone and did not reply to a text message seeking comment on the issue.

2 abducted nursing mothers freed

Meanwhile, two nursing mothers, among the 30 villagers abducted from Unguwar Liman, Gwada community of Igabi LGA in Kaduna State, have been freed due to health challenges.

The villagers, consisting of housewives, male adults, teenagers, and children below the age of two, were abducted on Sunday when bandits invaded their community at night.

Malam Jafar Anaba, a resident and community leader, told Daily Trust on Monday that the women, along with their babies, and another baby boy, totalling five people, were released on Friday due to health issues.

He explained that the bandits had contacted the villagers, demanding millions of naira as ransom for the remaining captives, which the villagers couldn’t afford.

Attempts to contact the state police command’s spokesman, ASP Mansir Hassan, were unsuccessful.

His phone lines failed to connect and he did not reply to a message seeking comment on the issue as of the time of filing this report.