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• Two Policemen, Nine Villagers Abducted
• Scores of Bandits Killed, Injured
• Bodies of Two Fulani Herdsmen Found in the Bush At Galkogo
From John Adams, Minna
As the activities of armed Bandits across Communities in Niger State continued unabated, an Assistant Commander of the local vigilante in New Bussa, Borgu Local Government area of the state, Mallam Adamu Isa Kwata has been killed.
Also killed in the ambush attack was another member of the local vigilant whose name was given as Ishaya while two other have been declared missing after about two hours of gun battle with the gunmen at Ibbi forest.
According to a source close to the community, the Bandits in their large number, had invaded Ibbi Community in Mashegun local government area, a border community with Borgu local government and abducted two Policemen and no fewer than nine people and took them to the forest.
However it was gathered that when there was no response from the conventional security Agents in the area after distress calls, the vigilantes from Ibbi and that of New Bussa mobilized in a joint operation and invaded the Ibbi forest with a view to rescue the abductees when they were ambushed by the gunmen.
The Vigilantes with their local guns, were said to have been over powered by the Bandits due to the superior weapons, and after about two hours of gun battle in the forest, the Assistant Commander and one other were gun down while two were declared missing.
The Bandits also suffered some casualties even though the number of them that were killed could not be ascertained by our source; he however blamed lack of modern weapons for the inability of the local vigilantes to successful confront the gunmen who were in large numbers and all fully armed with sophisticated weapons.
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“Even with their local guns, the vigilantes engaged the gunmen in a fierce gun battle for about two hours in the forest until when the Assistant Commander was shot from the back. He later died in the hospital at New Bussa but Ishaya died on the spot.
“it was only the vigilantes that volunteer to enter the forest for the rescue mission of those abducted from Ibbi, there was no single help from the security Agents in the area even though they were aware of the attack on Ibbi community”, he added.
It was further gathered that an unidentified helicopter had carried out surveillance on Ibbi community 24 hours before the gunmen invaded the town and sacked the entire Police station, abducting the two Policemen in the process.
Our source also hinted that the gunmen went away with weapons suspected to have been taken from the Police station at Ibbi.
The state Police Command is yet to issue a statement on the attacks even as the gunmen are also yet to make any demand from the community.
Meanwhile in another development, two dead bodies of Fulani Herdsmen have found in a nearby bush in Galkogo Village in Shiroro local government area of the state.
The bodies that were discovered on Monday morning by the villagers had matchets cut all over their bodies with their throat slit while another one was found unconscious with his two hands tie to the back and left in the bush.
According to our source in Zumba community, he is currently receiving treatment at a hospital in Zumba community.
