28th May, 2019
Bandits killed 23 people on Tuesday morning in Kabaje and Tunga communities of Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The reprisal attack was said to have occurred around 5.00am today.
It was gathered that the attack was triggered by the killing by a mob of Anas, the wife of one of the bandits.
Also killed were the bandit’s child and three other persons.
Anas said to be a resident of Unguwar Sarki in Kabaje was suspected to be one of the informants to the bandits.
Chairman of Kaura Namoda local government Alhaji Lawal Abdullahi confirmed the incident.
According to the Daily Trust, the gunmen who came on a reprisal attack arrived on motorbikes around 5: 30 am shortly after Sahur meal and they started firing at the villagers.
A resident Aliyu Yishau narrated the sequence of events: “What happened was that a group of local vigilantes otherwise known as ‘Yan sakai’ intercepted and executed a commercial motorbike rider conveying the wife and son of a bandit from a forest to nearby village”
“The commercial rider, had for quite a long time, been suspected of becoming an informant to armed bandits in forest and also serving as their errand boy. Following the development, he was kept under close watch and was seen carrying a wife and son of a suspected gunman”
“Owing to this, the rider was killed alongside his passengers. I think this is what triggered the retaliation by the armed men. As I speak to you, we are at the cemetery preparing for the burial of the victims. I can see fighter jets hovering around in search of the attackers. We are here together with soldiers and other security operatives,” a resident Aliyu Yushau said.
*Corrigendum: This story was first published as a tragic event that happened in Jigawa. We apologise for the error.