National Wire About Nigerians, Nigerian Business and Other Stories
….Police silence on casualty
…..vigilantes confirm 1 dead 7 injured
…..rescue 500 rustled cows
Olabode Adaramola
The Police and Vigilantes supported by local hunters have engaged some armed bandits suspected to be members of an Islamic terrorist organization in fierce battle in parts of Niger State particularly in Mashegu and Shiroro local Government Arears s of the State.
National Wire learnt that the bandits, who villagers claimed to be members of the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) at the weekend invaded three villages including Gurumana community in Shiroro local government of Niger state.
It was further gathered that the dreaded Islamist group fighters were said to have invaded and laid siege on the communities barely four days after the group had earlier attacked nearer other communities, including Saho Rami in Mashegu local government of the state during which several people were injured and some others were also kidnapped by the bandits .
However, further checks revealed that combined team of police and local vigilantes have given the bandits hot chase in the Shiroro forest resulting in the rescue of about 300 live cows with casualties on both sides.
The Chairman Shiroro local government, area of the state, Alhaji Suleiman Chukuba confirmed to journalists on Sunday in Minna, the state capital, that the battle with the bandits was in progress in the forests, but could not give casualty figures, as of the time of filing this reports on Sunday, while insisting that only the authorities of the Niger State Police Command were in possession of such detailed information since the battle was still on.
It was however learnt that seven of the vigilantes engaged in the battle have been rushed to the hospital from the front the battle lines with one of them said to have sustained fatal injury.
It was also gathered that the battle with the bandits have been raging on for the past few days in Mashegu area of the state where many villagers were reportedly abducted last week.
While villagers claimed that the bandits invaded their communities with sophisticated weapons and anti-aircraft guns mounted on hilux vehicles and took away many people, the police said many of those abducted have been rescued.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Adamu Usman, when contacted by our reporter on Sunday by telephone interview, said it was too early to speak on the situation of the battle with the bandits but confirmed that the police have chased out the bandits from the affected villages.
According to him, “we can not talk on the situation now. Our special forces are on ground and they are recording successes”
Further checks revealed that several villagers abducted in Mashegu by the bandits have been rescued , why some of the bandits have been arrested in battle.
According to insider sources, some 200 cattle have also been rescued in the mashegu sector of the battle with the armed bandits.
