- 5 vigilantes, 9 kidnapping victims also killed
- 3 others rescued
From John Adams, Minna
There was a major breakthrough in the war against bandits in Niger State over the weekend when local vigilantes, numbering well over 300 engaged a group of bandits in a fierce gun battle at Ibbi community in Mashegun local government of the state and killed over 50 of them.
Majority of the bandits killed were those from Zamfara state on a revenge mission to Ibbi community after some of their members were killed by the vigilantes and others held hostage at Ibbi forest with some kidnapped victims.
It could be recalled that a group of bandits had attacked Ibbi town three weeks ago where they sacked a police post, kidnapped two policemen and about 12 Civilians. Two vigilantes were also killed in that attack and others injured after a gun battle with the bandits.
According to a source close to the community, the Vigilantes later regrouped and invaded the Ibbi forest with a view to rescue those abducted by the gunmen and this led to a heavy casualities on the side of the bandits but nine of the Abductees were killed by the bandits when the heat was on them.
Although it was not clear whether the two policemen abducted along with the civilians were among those killed, three people including a woman however escaped to freedom.
It was gathered that after this encounter with the vigilantes, the bandits who were being held hostage in the forest, requested for assistance from their colleagues in Zamfara to lunch a reprisal attack on the vigilantes.
According to a source close to Ibbi community, “unfortunately the bandits from Zamfara did not know their way to Ibbi and they began to ask some villagers around Masakuka village for direction and the people immediately alerted the vigilantes at Ibbi.
“The vigilantes immediately called for more reinforcement from neighboring community, including the “high level vigilantes” in the area and about 300 of them went to the forest and ambushed the invading bandits.
“I can confirm to you that over 50 of them were killed in the forest. Many others escaped with injuries because they were over 100 that came, but we lost some members of the vigilantes while others sustained gunshot injuries”, our source said.
Our source disclosed further that the body of a retired forests guard with the Kainji National Park who was among those killed by the bandits was recovered on Sunday evening and buried on the spot due to the condition.
When contacted on this latest development, the state Commissioner for Internal Security and Humanitarian Affairs, Mr. Emmanuel Umar said he was aware of the activities of bandits in the area in recent time and the abduction of some villagers but was yet to get the details of the encounter with the local vigilantes.
He however expressed great concern over the continues activities of the bandits across the state, especially the killings and abductions of local villagers, the recent being the abduction of over 57 people from Adunu and other communities in Paikoro local government area of the state.
While five of the abductees were summarily executed by the bandits to put pressure on the communities to pay the ransom, 11 others were released after payment of an undisclosed amount of money, leaving about 35 still in captivity.
The bandits, it was gathered have requested for one motorcycle for the release of each of the victims.