From John Adams, Minna
Scores of bandits were neutralised in Chibani, Shiroro local government area of Niger State, on Monday, after a gunfight with Joint Security Task Force in the state.
Two members of the vigilante corp were also killed by the bandits who had earlier ambushed them.
It was gathered that an unspecified number of cattle were recovered from the bandits, many of them who escaped with bullet injuries.
The gunmen numbering over 50 and fully armed with sophisticated weapons, were said to have stormed a Fulani settlement in these communities and rustled a number of cattle.
According to a source close to one of the communities who spoke to our correspondent on phone, the Fulanis were planning to relocate with their animals from the areas as the dry season began to set in when the gunmen, acting through informants, stormed the settlement.
It was gathered that over 200 cattle were rustled by the gunmen when the Joint Security Taskforce stormed the communities following a distress call and engaged the gunmen in a fierce gun battle.
The gunmen, after getting the wind of the task force operatives trailing them, divided themselves into two groups. While one group was moving ahead with the cattle, the other group was said to have engaged the security agents in a gun battle.
When contacted, the commissioner for internal security and humanitarian affairs in the state, Mr Emmanuel Umar confirmed the attack by the bandits but said security forces have been deployed to the area.
He declined to comment on the causality from both sides, saying: “The operation is ongoing and I am yet to be briefed.”