In a significant confrontation last Wednesday, two communities in Zamfara State struck back against bandits, resulting in the deaths of thirty-five of the assailants. The incidents took place in Mutuzgi village, located in Talata-Mafara local government area, and in Magami Deddi, within Maradun local government area.
Sources revealed that the two communities independently defended themselves against the bandits. The first clash occurred in Mutuzgi, where villagers, having received warnings of a potential attack, prepared themselves for battle. Men and women armed with locally made weapons, including improvised guns, confronted the bandits as they attempted to enter the village.
A resident of Mutuzgi, Ahmed Ya’u, explained that the community, weary of the frequent attacks by the bandits, decided to take a stand. “We were tired of living in fear, so we decided to confront them head-on,” he said. The villagers strategically positioned themselves around the village and launched a surprise attack on the bandits as they arrived, catching them off guard.
Ya’u recounted that during the fierce battle, the villagers overpowered the bandits, killing twenty of them. However, the community also suffered the loss of three of its members. “As the bandits tried to flee into the nearby bush, they fired back, which led to the death of three of our people,” he added.
Some of the bandits who managed to escape the initial attack in Mutuzgi fled towards the neighboring community of Magami Deddi. Unbeknownst to them, the villagers there had also prepared an ambush. As the bandits approached, the residents of Magami Deddi opened fire, killing ten more bandits.
In total, thirty-five bandits were killed by the combined efforts of the two communities. The bloodied corpses of the bandits were found scattered at the scenes of the battles, evidence of the fierce resistance put up by the villagers defending their homes.
Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Yazid Abubakar, for comments were unsuccessful as he was unavailable at the time this report was filed.
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