From Gyang Bere, Jos
Bandits have reportedly killed 26 people in fresh attacks on some communities in Zamfara and Plateau states.
In Zamfara, about 20 bodies were said to have been found around a stream, a day after suspected bandits attacked Yan-Kukoki and Danbanda communities in Gummi Local Government Area (LGA) of the State.
A resident, who escaped the attack, said the bandits came Wednesday morning with the intention to rustle cows, but the villagers ambushed them.
“People were running and some fell into the stream, while some were shot. We didn’t know anything until we started seeing their bodies and, now, we have counted 20 bodies,” the source said.
One of the village heads was said to have reported the suspicious movement of the bandits to authorities at the local government area. The bandits were said to have infiltrated the communities and carried out simultaneous attacks from the Gummi-Sokoto road up to Danbanda village, about three kilometres away from Gummi town.
Sources in the area said five people were abducted during the attack. It was further gathered that 10 people were abducted on the Gummi-Gusau road by the bandits. Zamfara has been under severe attacks by terrorists in the last one month with hundreds of the residents killed. The state government recently advised the residents to arm themselves against the bandits.
Also, no fewer than six people were reportedly killed on Tuesday, when gunmen suspected to be bandits attacked Pinau village in Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State. It was gathered that the bandits destroyed properties and went away with food items and other valuables from the community. Military Information Officer and Spokesman of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), a multi-security task force in charge of peace in Plateau, Major Ishaku Takwa, who confirmed the incident, said troops have been sent to the troubled community.
A resident of the community, who spoke on phone, said the bandits, upon arrival at the community, at about 3pm, shot sporadically killing six people while several others were injured.
It was observed that the killings came five days after residents of the community raised the alarm over the withdrawal of soldiers from the area.
The incident has forced hundreds of people, including women and children, to flee the community for fear of bloody attack.
A resident, Garba Kasuwa, who fled his home revealed that the assailants came in their numbers on motorcycles, carrying heavy guns.
He said: “Before the arrival of the bandits, hundreds of residents of the community had already fled, and that is why the casualty figure is not much. The few ones that remained, some were killed. The bandits, upon their arrival, asked people to close themselves in their rooms.
“They broke our shops and stole food items and other properties. They also kidnapped some people. The situation is terrible,” he said.