Residents of Birnin Tudu community in Gummi Local Government Area of Zamfara State say they killed more than 30 bandits during a three-day confrontation after armed men invaded their domain.
The residents said the attackers, who arrived in their hundreds on motorcycles, surrounded the village and opened fire.
Reports quoting an anonymous resident said the attackers took the community by surprise after locals had relaxed their usual security vigilance.
“What happened in Birnin Tudu over the last three days was alarming. The bandits unexpectedly surrounded our village. We have always remained vigilant and defended ourselves, but this time, we thought everything was under control,” he said.
The resident said the attackers arrived at about 10am on Tuesday when some villagers had gone to their farms to harvest crops.
“Before we realised what was happening, the bandits had surrounded the village from all directions. They were conveying three people on each motorcycle. There were more than 100 motorcycles, and I personally counted 71 from where I was hiding,” he said.
According to him, the attackers entered the community, shooting sporadically, breaking into shops and looting goods. He said residents decided to confront them rather than flee.
“We thank God that some of our people were ready to defend the community. We confronted them because we realised that fleeing our homes and becoming IDPs would be a disgrace to us,” he said.
The resident said the confrontation resulted in the deaths of three villagers, while three others sustained fractures and another person suffered a gunshot wound.
He added that the bandits returned for a second confrontation while residents were distributing batteries for torch lights, but were again repelled and chased towards the eastern part of the village.
He said the attackers succeeded in taking cattle rustled from neighbouring communities but did not steal any livestock from Birnin Tudu.
Another resident said the attackers operated in three groups – the first with more than 71 motorcycles carrying three persons each, the second moving with rustled cattle, and a third group following behind.
He said the attackers used communication devices to contact colleagues scattered in surrounding bushes, asking them to regroup.
He claimed villagers initially counted 11 bandits killed but were prevented from recovering weapons when another group launched a fresh attack.
“We killed 11 bandits, and while we were trying to seize their rifles, another group attacked us again. That prevented us from recovering more weapons that we could have used to defend ourselves,” he said.
The resident disclosed that the community received intelligence on Thursday morning that bandits were approaching from the western side, prompting vigilantes to prepare for another confrontation. He said reports indicated the attackers had rustled cattle from Sabon Garin Kaddagi village and were moving towards a forest known as Kwartaga.
According to him, local vigilantes confirmed sighting the bandits and reportedly lay in ambush.
He said subsequent information indicated that the number of bandits killed had risen to more than 30, corroborated by a villager who allegedly escaped from captivity and claimed he overheard a bandit leader reprimanding his men that over 30 of their colleagues had been killed.
The residents dismissed reports that the attack was linked to a bandit leader identified as Gwaska over refusal to allow gold mining.
“That report is completely false. We are still in our community, and no bandit leader can force us to abandon our homes. We are determined to confront them and defend ourselves,” one resident said.
Spokesperson of the Zamfara State Police Command, DSP Yazid Abubakar, confirmed the incident in Gummi LGA, assuring that the command has intensified security measures.
“The incident occurred, and we have intensified efforts to ensure that the community receives adequate police support,” Abubakar said.
The Command, however, debunked reports of an attack on Birnin Tudu in Anka LGA over gold mining, clarifying that there are two villages bearing the same name.
“Nothing of such has happened in Birnin Tudu village in Anka LGA and the village was not attacked,” Yazid said. The village head of Birnin Tudu in Anka also reportedly dismissed reports of any security breach, noting that happened in his community.
Vigilante commander in Birnin Tudu, Gummi, Bello Abubakar, popularly known as Bello Karo Birnin Tudu, called on security agencies and the local government to provide additional support.
“We had privileged information about the movement of the bandits since Monday. We learnt that a large group of them was moving towards our village across the river, but they did not attack until Tuesday morning, when most of our people had gone to their farms,” he said.
Abubakar said fewer than 10 villagers were initially available to guard the community and suspected an informant leaked their ambush plans, forcing attackers to change direction and enter through the eastern side before splitting towards Koga and Hishi villages.
He recalled that bandits last attacked the community about two years ago, when villagers claimed to have killed more than 15.
“We need more ammunition, gunpowder, torchlights and guns. Our equipment has run low because we spent three days confronting the bandits,” he pleaded, appealing to Gummi LGA Chairman Aminu Falale for support and for deployment of security personnel and an armoured vehicle.
When contacted, Falale declined to comment over the telephone, insisting on a physical meeting.
Efforts to reach the member representing the constituency in the Zamfara State House of Assembly, Adamu Aliyu Gazura, were unsuccessful.
- Media Report