From Maiharaji Altine, Gusau
Bandits have killed 10 people, while many others were kidnapped in four villages of Bungudu local government area of Zamfara state.
An indigene of the area, Malam Musa Sani said, the bandits who were on motorcycles invaded Dandamji, Gidan Runji, Doka, Yanmadanga and Yarkatsina villages around five o’clock in the evening of Monday where they killed10 people and abducted several others.
Sani maintained that, the bandits have also carted away with large number of domestic animals.
He stated that, the bandits were in the areas for several hours due to non presence of the security agents, lamenting that, “Some of those kidnapped were women and children”.
According to him, the bandits have also returned to the communities during the funeral prayers of the 10 people they have killed earlier on.
“We just saw them approaching the place where the burial was taking place and everybody took to his heels, living the dead bodies behind”.
He stated that, many villages have been deserted and the people have relocated to other places.
Sani appealed to the Federal government to come to their aid by deploying more security personnel to the area, stressing that, “Unless more security personnel were drafted to the affected communities, the issue of farming would not be possible this year.
“I am appealing to the Federal government to come to our aid. The bandits have strongly warned that they would not allow us to farm this year”.
The spokesperson of the command SP Mohammed Shehu confirmed the killing of the 10 people, adding that, 10 bandits were also killed in the encounter.
Shehu said, “At about 11pm in the night on Monday, the Police Tactical operatives deployed to Mada axis in a Joint operations with the Vigilante group of HAYIN DAUDU Village and environ in MADA District of Gusau LGA, responded to a distress call received from the Village that, armed bandits in their large number stormed the area with intent to attack the innocent people of the village”.
“The bandits who were armed with sophisticated weapons heavily engaged to a gun duel by the joint Police /Vigilante operatives, as a result of the encounter, ten bandits were neutralised while others escaped with a possible gun shot wounds”.
“Normalcy was restored in the area with rigorous confidence building patrol being intensfied to forestall further attack on the communities”.
“The Commissioner of Police commended the collaborative efforts of the Vigilante and other partners in crime fighting for their resilience and urged them to sustain the tempo”.
