Zamfara residents kill 37 bandits

At least 37 bandits were reportedly killed in Matusgi village, Talata Mafara Local Government Area of Zamfara State, after residents engaged a gang that had invaded the village with the intent to abduct locals.

According to an anonymous resident, the bandits arrived on motorbikes around 2 p.m. on Wednesday, aiming to carry out abductions, saying it was not the first time the villagers had confronted bandits, but it was the first instance where they managed to inflict significant casualties.

The resident said the bandits began their attack by firing sporadically to intimidate the community. However, the residents had been alerted in advance and were prepared when the bandits arrived. Armed with locally-made firearms, some villagers fought back, while others used traditional weapons to encircle the area and prevent the bandits from escaping.

After an hour of intense fighting, the bandits retreated, with 10 of their members reported dead. The residents then regrouped, strategised, and set up an ambush. When the bandits returned, the villagers launched another attack, ultimately killing 37 bandits in total.

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The District Head of Matusgi, Alhaji Ciroma Muhammad, confirmed the incident, stating that three villagers were killed during the clash. He noted that neighbouring villages reported seeing the bandits transporting the bodies of their fallen comrades on motorbikes.

“This is the 13th time bandits have attacked this village,” Alhaji Muhammad said. “Three weeks ago, the bandits kidnapped 23 people, mostly women. They carried out the operation quietly, without firing any shots until after they had left. We only became aware of their departure when they fired a few shots in the distance.”

He added that the bandits had demanded a ransom of N150,000 per person. After payment, only seven of the abducted women were released, with the remaining hostages still in captivity.

Meanwhile, the Kaduna State government has reported that troops on patrol have neutralised eight bandits in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area.

The troops were on a fighting patrol in the Kampanin Doka area when they encountered the bandits. According to Samuel Aruwan, the Overseeing Commissioner for the Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, the troops engaged the bandits, killing seven on the spot.

He said a subsequent search of the area, the troops recovered several items, including three AK-47 rifles, eight AK-47 magazines (four empty and four loaded with a total of 120 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition), one magazine carrier, six motorcycles, three mobile phones, two Baofeng radio sets and three pairs of civilian clothes.

He added that in the final stage of the patrol, the troops encountered additional bandits in the Gayam area, neutralising one more while the remaining bandits fled with gunshot wounds.