- 8 killed, many injured
- Community scrambles for cover
From John Adams, Minna
There is palpable fear and anxiety among the people of Kusasu community and its surrounding villages in Shioro Local government area of Niger state following a bloody clash between two bandits groups over cattle, leading to the death of no fewer than eight bandits and several others injured.
The bloody clash is between Dogo Jede led arm group and Ali Kachala group. The two rival groups have continue to struggle for territorial control in Shiroro, Munya, Rafi and parts of Paikoro local government areas of the state as they continue to unleash terror on the people with impunity.
In 2021, the two groups, after a similar clash over disagreements on monetary levies imposed on communities, were said to have shared Territories with each group operating strictly within its Territory, and had avoided each other since then until last week Friday when Ali Kachala group launched an attack on Dogo Jede camp and went away over 5,000 cattle.
According to a reliable source close to Kusasu community, Dogo Jede who is currently recuperating from an undisclosed illness at his main hide-out in a village in Birin Gwari, Kaduna state gave his Boys 48 hours within which to recover all the cattle stolen from his camp.
It was gathered that Dogo Jede Boys mobilized in their numbers and invaded the camp of Ali Kachala and engaged them in a fierce gun battle which for several hours in the night of Friday, leading to the death of no fewer than eight of the bandits and scores were injured.
Our source further disclosed that while six bandits from Ali Kachala group were killed, Dogo Jede group lost two of its members with death tolls expected to rise due to the degree of injuries sustained by the fighters.
Although Dogo Jede group successfully retrieved almost all the catlle taken away by the other group, there are fears among the community and its surrounding villages that there might be a reappraisal attack from Ali Kachala group.
“Majority of the villagers are relocating to nearby villages to avoid being caught in cross fire while others, mostly men are living in fear in the community even though no community member was touched during the clash. It was solely between themselves,” our source said.