Bandits attack Kaduna communities, security operatives feared killed

Scores of security operatives were alleged to have been killed by bandits across two communities in the troubled Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, The PUNCH reports.

Among the security operatives killed were those of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, police, soldiers as well as members of vigilantes on Sunday, according to a source.

“The attacks were not only on Sunday but started four days ago. There was an attack along Funtua Birnin Gwari road where many securities were killed. But that of yesterday (Sunday), two vigilante members, one police and a soldier were killed,” the source said.

The two affected communities are Kubau and Ungwan Zakara.

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It was learnt that trouble started when security operatives allegedly killed a boy who normally looked after cattle belonging to the bandits.

Angered by the incident, the terrorists in large numbers stormed a check-point known as Aka along Birnin-Gwari to Kakangi/Randagi road of the Western part of Birnin-Gwari LGA and sniffed life out of some security operatives.

A resident, Abubakar Kakangi, who spoke to journalists on Monday, said the bandits have an agreement with the members of the communities where they allowed the locals to farm.

He noted that the bandits usually passed through the villages to sell stolen cows which the security agencies frowned at before the boy who “was looking after their cattle” was allegedly killed three weeks ago.

Kakangi said, “Three weeks ago, the security killed a boy who was looking after their cattle. The bandits were not happy over the murder of the local boy.

“Thus yesterday (Sunday) the bandits stormed Aka security checkpoint along Birnin-Gwari to Kakangi/Randagi road of the Western part of Birnin-Gwari LGA

“The attack took place around 2:00 pm. The bandits divided themselves into two groups and carried out the attack simultaneously at the two villages where they killed scores of security personnel including the Civil Defence Corps, police, vigilante and soldiers.”

There was no official confirmation from either the Kaduna state Police Command or the State Government.

When contacted on the telephone, the command’s spokesman, Mohammad Jalige, promised to reach out to the Area Commander of the affected communities and get back to our correspondent.

However, as of the time of filing this report (9:09 pm), Jalige had yet to get back to our correspondent.