The attack is coming barely three weeks after Governor Abubakar Sani Bello visited the vigilante group and assured them that government would equip them with high calibre weapons to enable them to take the fight against the bandits.
The Commandant of the Vigilante group in the local government, Malam Abu Hashimu confirmed the killing of his men to newsmen on Thursday in an interview by the telephone.
According to him, “the slain vigilantes were returning from a search operation when they were ambushed. 16 of them were killed on the spot while the bandits pursued four others, who tried to escape after which they were also gunned down.”
He said the bodies of the deceased have been recovered and buried, adding that a joint security operation consisting of military and vigilantes has begun a manhunt for the bandits.
READ ALSO: Bandits Attack Kaduna Communities, Kills 13, Injure Several
The combined security team has entered the Dutse Magajiya forest in Minna, combing it for the armed bandits
Ahmed Ibrahim Matane, the Secretary to the State Government also confirmed the killings of the 20 vigilantes.
Matane also said the military post in the area was attacked and “we lost one soldier.”
State government officials and popular Islamic scholar, Sheik Abubakar Gumi, last month met with some bandits’ commanders in Dutsen Magajiya where a peace initiative took place before the eventual release of the abducted 42 passengers onboard a state government-owned bus was released.
Recall that the officials of the state government and a renowned Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmed Gumi had some time last month met with some bandits’ commanders in the same area where peace initiative was said to have taken place.
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