Army Kills 21 Bandits In Zamfara

The Nigerian Army said it killed 21 bandits in a gun duel in Zamfara State, just as 24 people were feared killed in fresh attacks by gunmen in Benue and Kaduna states.


A statement by the director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Texas Chukwu, said the Nigerian Army troops of 232 Battalion Zuru while on clearance patrol encountered armed bandits, killing 21 of them, though it lost two soldiers at Tungan Daji in Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State.



A week earlier, bandits killed more than 30 people in Bawan Daji village, in the same Anka local government.


The Bawan Daji killings came days after the death of a bandits’ kingpin, Buharin Daji, by a rival gang in the state.


Chukwu said dozens of other bandits escaped with gunshot wounds. The troops also recovered from the bandits five AK 47 assault rifles, one light machine gun, five magazines of AK 47 rifle and 35 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition.


Speaking on the death of their personnel, the army spokesperson said, “unfortunately we lost an officer and a soldier during the encounter. The remains of the officer and the soldier have been evacuated to Federal Medical Center, Gusau.”


The Benue attacks were carried out in four communities of Gwer West Local Government Area of the state.


Daily Trust gathered that the four communities of Mbapupuu, Mbapa, Mbachhphon, and Enger all in Agagbe district of Gwer West LGA were attacked in the early hours of yesterday.


Locals said that they were asleep about 1:30 am when the gunmen invaded their locality, shooting sporadically and killing people in the process.


The State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, however, confirmed that only two persons were killed by the bandits.


The police chief said, “The issue has gone beyond herdsmen and farmers from what we have seen. Our men have encountered them too, they are dressed in black and black. It is an infiltration from either Zamfara State or neighbouring countries where they are being chased away from.”


The police commissioner had earlier raised concerns at a press briefing on Tuesday that people of the Gwer area were fleeing their communities to Naka town, the headquarters of the local government following a dispute between some youths and herders in the area.


Mr Owoseni had said some youths from Mbapa community and herders clashed early this week during which one herder got missing. He, however, said the police command was already in talks with the leadership of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) to resolve the matter.


In Kaduna State, the bandits attacked Sarari village, near Kuriga town, in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area.


The bandits arrived the community around 2 pm on motorcycles in large number, where they went from house to house shooting people.


Eyewitnesses said the community’s village head and five other people were killed during the attacks, while about 10 others were injured.


A day earlier, Chief of Air Staff Sadique Abubakar ordered the deployment of special forces of the Nigerian air force (NAF) to Gusau, Zamfara state capital, as part of efforts to stop the killings in the state.


A statement by NAF spokesperson Olatokunbo Adesanya said the troops are to complement the efforts of other security forces on the ground to prevent further attacks.


“Following the recent attack on Bawan Daji community in Anka local government area of Zamfara state where some lives were lost, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, directed that Nigerian air force (NAF) special forces be deployed to Gusau, as part of efforts to stop the incessant banditry attacks,” the statement read.


“Accordingly, the NAF special forces, who were trained in asymmetric warfare, were airlifted from Kaduna with the NAF C-130 Hercules aircraft to complement the efforts of other security forces on the ground to prevent further attack on innocent citizens.


“The personnel and other supporting staff would operate from the recently established 207 quick response group in Gusau, where they would reinforce the existing regiment personnel in the unit in support of the ongoing operation SHARAN DAJI in the state.


“In his address to the troops at Gusau shortly before their deployment earlier today, 3 April 2018, the air officer commanding special operations command, Air Vice Marshal Ismaila Kaita, announced that the special forces would be further deployed to remote areas of Zamfara state, where they would be engaged in internal security operations.


“He therefore further urged them to effectively utilize their experience and training to protect the lives and properties of the people of Zamfara State. He added that the NAF leadership expects the Special Forces to exhibit the highest standards of professionalism and respect for human rights in discharging their duties.


“In recent times, the NAF has taken additional measures to enhance its contributions to tackling internal security challenges in the country, in fulfillment of its constitutional responsibility. In addition to earlier established quick response groups and Wings and the deployment of NAF special forces to various states, the NAF recently established quick response wings at Agatu, Doma and Nguroje in Benue, Nasarawa, and Taraba states respectively to bring security closer to those in the relatively remote areas.


“Arrangements are also ongoing to establish a new quick response group in Jalingo, Taraba state to superintend the activities of the 3 new quick response wings,” he said.

source