Bandits kill 3 soldiers, 7 villagers in Zamfara
ANigerian Army major and two other soldiers were killed in a shootout with armed bandits in Kabasa village of Magami District in Gusau Local Government area of Zamfara State.
The identity of the other two soldiers was not clear at the time of filing this report but a security source said the officer was sector commander in charge of Magami.
The soldiers were killed after attacks on the villages of Madaba and Kabasa by a large gang of bandits moving in convoy of motorcycles.
Residents told Daily Trust that armed men arrived at the community on motorcycles on Tuesday, firing at people.
A resident said apart from the soldiers, seven other persons were killed in the two villages.
“The whole community was thrown into pandemonium as several other residents trying to escape the attack were injured. Seven people were confirmed dead in the attack,” a resident, Saminu Usman, told Daily Trust.
Governor Bello Muhammad Matawalle through the Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Ibrahim Dosara, said he received with shock the report of an attack by some “recalcitrant bandits” who unleashed mayhem on innocent people in Kabasa village.
Dosara said the governor, who was saddened and disturbed by what he called the “sad event” that led to loss of lives in the village, condemned the incident.
The governor also condoled with the families of the victims and prayed God to grant the souls of the departed eternal rest.
“The government has already directed security agencies in the state to carry out a full investigation into the incident and report back to the government for action. The standing committee for the assessment of damages constituted by the state government has been instructed to visit the community to assess the level of damages inflicted on the community,” Dosara said.
However, attempts to get the reaction of the army failed as the spokesman of Operation Hadarin Daji in the state, Captain Ibrahim Yahaya, did not return several calls by our correspondent at the time of filing this report.