From Gyang Bere, Jos
Twelve people have been killed as a result of a clash between bandits and vigilantes in Zak community in Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State.
Daily Sun gathered that the bandits invaded the community on Monday night to attack the people while the Vigilante group resisted them which culminated in a gun battle, leaving 12 people dead.
A youth leader in Wase, Shapi Sambo, who confirmed the killings said the incident occured at about 9 pm on Monday when the villagers were preparing to go to sleep.
“When the bandits invaded the community, the villagers try to resist their attack which led to the killing of 12 persons, 9 among them are bandits, 3 are vigilantes,” he staid.
The attack is coming one week after the killing of seven soldiers and one vigilante member in the same community by bandits.
The spokesman of Operation SAFE HAVEN, a multi security taskforce maintaining peace in the state, Major Ishaku Takwa, confirmed the incident but could not ascertain the casualty figure the incident.
He stressed that the Commander and troops who repelled the attack moved to Gajin Bashar community to fight the bandits who had stormed the area to attack the villagers.
The youth leader narrated that “The bandits came on motorcycles in their numbers in the morning. We suspected that they passed a night in a bush closed to Zak.
“When people realized that the bandits arrived in the community, they quickly informed Operation Safe Haven stationed in Zak and they swiftly mobilised their troops to the general area and repelled the attacks together with the vigilantes. It was a serious crash,” Shapi’i added.
Meanwhile, the Police Public Relations Officer PPRO, Alfred Alabo confirmed the incident and said the DPO in the area has not given him the details of the attack.
The House of Representatives had set up an ad hoc committee, led by Hon Fulata Hassan Abubakar, which visited the committee last week with the intention of calming the situation.
The village head of Kanpani Zurak, Alhaji Dahiru Adamu, and other traditional rulers in Wase have told the community that bandits and kidnappers have taken over the community and called on Federal Government to take proactive measures to save the people.