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Twelve operatives of the Zamfara State Community Protection Guards and local vigilantes have reportedly been killed in a clash with bandits at Adabka village in Bukkiyum Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
Residents said several others sustained gunshot wounds and were taken to the hospital for treatment.
While the bandits also suffered casualties, locals said they could not determine the exact number as the attackers took away their dead and injured.
A resident of Sabuwar Tunga, Malam Fahad, said the bandits initially attacked their community around 9 am on Wednesday, abducting several people, including women.
“As they were retreating into the bush, vigilantes and operatives of the Zamfara State Community Protection Guards from neighbouring communities intercepted them.
“A fierce gun battle ensued for nearly an hour. When the bandits began running low on ammunition, they called for reinforcements. They eventually overpowered the vigilantes and guards, killing 12 and injuring several others. We later recovered the bodies and buried them. Fortunately, some of the abducted victims were rescued,” Fahad said.
When contacted, the Zamfara State Police Command’s spokesperson, Yazid Abubakar, said he was not aware of the incident.
A resident of Dansadau in Maru Local Government Area, who is also an ex-serviceman, attributed the increase in attacks to the recent peace deal with bandits in Kaduna State.
Meanwhile, Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has reaffirmed his administration’s stance against negotiating with bandits, stating that the policy is proving effective.
The governor stated this when he received the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Bala Abubakar, who visited the state to condole with victims of a recent accidental bombing by the air component of Operation Fansan Yamma.
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