At least two people have been killed, one injured and 26 others abducted following separate attacks by suspected bandits on communities in Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The Kaduna State Vigilance Service (KadVS) disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday by its Public Relations Officer, Yunusa Shehu.
According to Shehu, the attacks occurred in Tunburku, Tudun Amada and Kallon Kura communities, while the assailants also rustled cattle belonging to residents in separate incidents.
He said the bandits attacked Tunburku in Kidandan District and Tudun Amada in Kadage District almost simultaneously in the early hours of Monday.
Shehu identified the two victims killed in Tunburku as Alhaji Surajo and Alhaji Ado, while 26 residents were reportedly abducted from Tudun Amada.
He added that another resident, Ayyuba Usman, sustained injuries during the attacks, which occurred at about 12:30 a.m. on Monday.
In a separate incident, the assailants invaded Kura in Danmahawayi District at about 9 p.m. on Saturday and reportedly rustled cattle belonging to residents.
Shehu said the number of cattle initially reported missing was estimated at between 15 and 17, noting that efforts were ongoing to establish the exact number.
He further disclosed that the bandits later invaded Kallon Kura in Danmahawayi District during the night, where they also rustled cattle before security personnel mobilised to the area.
Following intelligence on the movement of the attackers and the stolen livestock, KadVS personnel launched a tracking operation aimed at recovering the animals.
The vigilantes reportedly engaged the bandits in a gun battle, forcing the assailants to retreat and abandon the cattle before fleeing the area.
A security source told the News Agency of Nigeria that the security personnel subsequently recovered 19 cattle from the attackers at about midnight on Saturday, September 5.
The operation was conducted under the supervision of the KadVS Sector Coordinator in Giwa Local Government Area, who led the personnel during the recovery exercise.
When contacted, the Kaduna State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansur Hassan, said he would provide further clarification after obtaining details of the incidents.
However, as of the time of filing the report, Hassan had not responded with further information on the attacks.
