Over 60 vigilante group members and civilians were reported killed by the group of armed bandits in the Kanoma district of Maru local government area in Zamfara state.
A resident of the area, who pleaded anonymity in a telephone interview with Blueprint, stated that many of the vigilante members sustained serious injury during the gun duel with the bandits.
According to him, the vigilante members, in collaboration with communities, mobilised themselves numbering over 200 last Monday and attempted to go to the camp of the bandits in Dangulbi forest.
Their move followed incessant attacks on the communities by the criminal elements.
He said the vigilante members and communities affected were mainly from Kanoma, Bingi, and Ruwan Doruwa towns.
“As I am talking to you now, no one has access to the scene of the incident to evacuate the corpses of the deceased persons for funeral.
“As I am speaking now, many people among the vigilante members have been missing and we are in serious devastating moment following fear of attacking our areas by the bandits,” he added.
He also called on both the federal and state governments to come to their aid by deploying troops to help them evacuate those killed for proper burial.
“I am calling on both federal government and Zamfara state government to as a matter of urgency come to our assistance by deploying security operatives in our areas to enable us evacuate the corpses of those who lost their lives for burial,” said the source.
However, efforts to reach the Zamfara State Police Command Public Relations Officer ASP Yazid Abubakar on the matter proved abortive as at the time of this
Blueprint