A clash erupted in Zamfara State when bandits attacked a security camp on Monday, resulting in casualties. Among those killed were several bandits, two soldiers, and a mobile police officer.
The incident occurred when the bandits targeted security personnel stationed at the Government Day Secondary School in Dauran, Zurmi Local Government Area of the state.
According to reports from Dauran and Zurmi towns, the attack began around 9:30 a.m. The bandits launched the assault as retaliation for the arrest of one of their members by soldiers on Sunday, following identification by locals.
“Some residents who were once kidnapped spotted a bandit in the market on Sunday and alerted the soldiers that were stationed in the community. The soldiers came and arrested the suspect and took him away,” a community leader in Dauran, who asked not to be named for security reasons, told PREMIUM TIMES Monday evening. “That was what caused the attack.”
Two groups of terrorists were said to have stormed the camp, a government secondary school now being used by the soldiers.
“Most of the soldiers were inside the classrooms that now serve as their rooms when they started hearing gunshots,” a youth leader in Zurmi, Abubakar (surname withheld), said. “The two soldiers killed and the mobile policeman were the ones on duty outside so they fired back. They exchanged fire for some time before the other soldiers joined.”
He said several terrorists were killed by the soldiers but only two bodies were recovered as the bandits retrieved and withdrew with the others.
“Terrorists don’t leave behind dead bodies of their friends. They try as much as possible to take away all dead bodies. Yesterday, they left behind two dead bodies and went away with others. Several of them also got bullet wounds. I believe if the soldiers had more numbers, they would have killed all the terrorists,” Mr Abubakar said.
Another resident of Dauran, Ahmad Muhammad, told PREMIUM TIMES over the phone that the terrorists entered through Marakkai forest.
“The soldiers are trying but they are not enough honestly. We are happy that there are soldiers and mobile policemen here but they need to bring more security agents,” he said.
He said even before the attack on Monday, the terrorists abducted a local trader, Shafiu Musa, his wife and a friend.
Ibrahim Yahaya, the spokesperson for Operation Hadarin Daji, 1 Bridge Nigerian Army in Zamfara State, and the police spokesperson, Yazid Abubakar, did not respond to calls and SMS sent to them by this reporter over the attack.
Most of the communities in local government areas sharing a border with the Niger Republic like Zurmi (Zamfara), Jibia and Batsari (Katsina), Gada, Sabon Birni and Isa (Sokoto) have in recent weeks witnessed the resurgence of terrorist activities.
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