Armed bandits kill 15 in midnight raids on three Bauchi villages

Armed men suspected to be bandits have unleashed terror on three villages in the Gwana District of Alkaleri Local Government Area, Bauchi State.

At least 15 people were reportedly killed and several others wounded in the late-night attack on Saturday.

The affected communities, Mansur, Digare, Sabuwar Sara, and Yalo, were ambushed in their sleep, with most victims identified as members of local vigilante groups from Gwana and Duguri Districts who had been protecting residents from frequent attacks linked to bandits operating across borders with Gombe, Plateau, and Taraba States.

Our reporter gathered that the attackers, heavily armed and ruthless, opened fire indiscriminately, catching the communities off guard.

DAILY POST reports that the attack re-echoes past incidents that have plagued the area, including mass killings and livestock rustling, prompting repeated visits by Governor Bala Mohammed and security chiefs for on-the-spot assessments.

Despite confirmation from the Bauchi State Police Command, details on the full scale of casualties remain undisclosed.

However, the State Police Commissioner, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, visited the crime scenes, ordered the deployment of tactical teams, and assured residents of an intensified manhunt to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The Commissioner condemned the attack as “utterly reprehensible” and a “significant threat to the peace and security of the state,” vowing that no stone would be left unturned in the ongoing investigation.

The spokesman of the command, Ahmed Wakil, in a statement issued on Monday, revealed that the ambush occurred during a routine patrol by local hunters along the forest corridor between Bauchi and Plateau States, resulting in casualties on both sides.

Victims included both vigilante members and civilians attempting to escape the assault.

Armed bandits kill 15 in midnight raids on three Bauchi villages