Bandits kill 19 military, police personnel in Northern Nigeria

ABUJA, Nigeria

A day after bandits killed 63 vigilantes in Nigeria’s North West Kebbi state, 19 military and security personnel have also been killed in an ambush on the state's deputy governor who was in the area to deliver his condolences. 

The security officers were killed on March 8, 2022 while defending the motorcade of Mr Samaila Yombe Dabai, the deputy governor of Kebbi State, against the marauding bandits.

The deputy governor’s convoy was attacked while on his way back from Danko-Wassagu Local Government Area of the state where he visited some communities which were attacked by the bandits who killed the vigilantes.

Part of the itinerary for the trip also included an assessment of the structure and logistics for military operatives in the area.

The special adviser to the deputy governor, Mr Abdullahi Musa, the deputy governor and his motorcade were attacked in Kanya village after visiting some communities in the local government area.

“It was face to face with the bandits and the deputy governor who is a retired army colonel still has some military techniques which also helped him during the shootout with the bandits,” Mr Musa said.

“He was not alone. He was accompanied by top military officers in the state, about 36 of them,” Mr Musa reported on Wednesday night. 

Mr Abdullahi Abubakar, a native of Danko-Wassagu, said the armed bandits rode on motorcycles and laid ambush for the convoy of the deputy governor in Kanya village.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari had confirmed the killing of at least 63 vigilantes from five communities of Kebbi State in an ambush on Sunday evening. 

He expressed sadness over what he described as "the brutal murder of tens of vigilante members in Kebbi State by bandits who ambushed them in the Sakaba/Wassagu Local Government Area".

"This egregious level of criminality is shocking and I want to assure Nigerians that I will do all it takes to tackle this monster decisively," President Buhari said.

"My greatest preoccupation is the threat to life posed by these murderous gangs and remorseless outlaws who have no slightest regard for the sanctity of life.”

Meanwhile, police in North West Katsina State have repelled a bandit attack and recovered six of their operational motorcycles in Barawa village in Batagarawa Local Government while 200 suspected bandits have been arrested in Kaduna state.

Police Spokesman Gambo Isah said in Katsina on Thursday that villagers sighted the terrorists in their numbers on motorcycles and armed with AK-47 rifles and alerted the police.

“A combined team of police and military personnel was mobilised to the area. It engaged the hoodlums in a fierce gun duel and successfully repelled them.

“The operational strategy and gallantry displayed by the combined team made the terrorists to abandon their mission and fled.

“While scanning the scene, five operational motorcycles [belonging to] the bandits were recovered and burnt. Another motorcycle was recovered in Barawa Forest. Many of bandits escaped the scene with gunshot wounds.

“Members of the community are enjoined to report to the nearest security formation any person found with suspicious injury,’’ Mr Isah said.

At the same time, the Kaduna command’s Public Relations Officer Mohammed Jalige said the command recovered 18 AK-47 Rifles, 2,000 live ammunitions of different calibres, 11 pump action guns, 10 locally fabricated pistols, 140 shotguns, 12-guage cartridges, seven motor vehicles of different brands and nine motorcycles.