Villagers repel bandit attack in Zamfara, kill 37 in fierce battle

In a dramatic turn of events, at least 37 bandits were killed in Matusgi village, Talata Mafara Local Government Area of Zamfara State, after local residents fought back against an invasion aimed at abducting villagers.

The incident occurred around 2 p.m. on Wednesday, when the bandits, arriving on motorbikes, launched their assault by firing indiscriminately to terrorize the community.

According to an anonymous resident, this was not the first time the villagers had confronted bandits, but it marked the first time they were able to deliver a decisive blow.

Prepared for the attack after receiving an early warning, the villagers, armed with locally-made firearms and traditional weapons, launched a counteroffensive.

The battle lasted for an hour, forcing the bandits to retreat with 10 of their members killed. Undeterred, the villagers regrouped and set up an ambush.

When the bandits attempted to return, they were met with another wave of attacks, leading to a total of 37 bandit casualties.

The District Head of Matusgi, Alhaji Ciroma Muhammad, confirmed the clash, noting that three villagers also lost their lives.

He added that neighbouring communities reported seeing the bandits transporting the bodies of their fallen comrades on motorbikes.

“This is the 13th time bandits have attacked this village,” Alhaji Muhammad said. “Three weeks ago, the bandits kidnapped 23 people, mostly women. They carried out the operation quietly, without firing any shots until after they had left. We only became aware of their departure when they fired a few shots in the distance.”

He added that the bandits had demanded a ransom of N150,000 per person. After payment, only seven of the abducted women were released, with the remaining hostages still in captivity.

Meanwhile, the Kaduna State government has reported that troops on patrol have neutralised eight bandits in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area.

The troops were on a fighting patrol in the Kampanin Doka area when they encountered the bandits. According to Samuel Aruwan, the Overseeing Commissioner for the Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, the troops engaged the bandits, killing seven on the spot.

He said a subsequent search of the area, the troops recovered several items, including three AK-47 rifles, eight AK-47 magazines (four empty and four loaded with a total of 120 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition), one magazine carrier, six motorcycles, three mobile phones, two Baofeng radio sets and three pairs of civilian clothes.

He added that in the final stage of the patrol, the troops encountered additional bandits in the Gayam area, neutralising one more while the remaining bandits fled with gunshot wounds.