From John Adams, Minna
The Joint Security TaskForce in Niger state on Monday, ambushed and killed no fewer than 20 cattle rustlers in Galkogo in Shiroro local government area of the state.
The Joint Security TaskForce also recovered two machine guns and a number of AK47 raffles from the rustlers, including over 300 cattle rustled from the community.
According to a source close to the Galkogo community, luck was said to have ran out of the rustlers when they were trying to move the rustled cattle away from the community and in the process, ran into an ambush by the TaskForce, unknowing to them (rustlers) that the TaskForce who had earlier gone to Kaduna axis for a support operation had returned to their base.
It was gathered that immediately the rustlers sighted the TaskForce, they opened fire and injured one of the security agents, but however met a superior fire power from the TaskForce and 20 of them were neutralized.
It was further gathered that the operation was successful due to lack of mobile communication network in the area which the villagers said went off three days back, making it impossible for their informants to alert them of the presence of the men of the Joint Security TaskForce.
Galkogo had been at the receiving end from cattle rustlers and bandits attacks with the community almost deserted as the people have relocated to neighboring communities.
The presence of the Joint Security TaskForce in the area however restored hope as the people began to return back until the latest incident.
It could be recalled that, last month, scores of fleeing bandits from the military onslaught in Zamfara and Katsina ran into Military camp in the area and neutralized.
The Police Public Relation Officer of the state command, ASP Abiodun Wasiu could not be reached to confirm this latest incident.