By Desire Emmanuel
Gunmen suspected to be bandits engaged in a gun duel with soldiers escorting a convoy of vehicles carrying commuters on a road in Zamfara State, fleeing with 20 captives in the process.
The gunmen were said to have ambushed the soldiers and the convoy on Saturday on the Dansadau-Gusau road, leading to an exchange of gunfire.
The soldiers reportedly had an upper hand during the gun duel, wounding some of the marauders.
However, as they fled into the forest during the encounter, they took along about 20 of the commuters while the soldiers are reported to be searching for them as of the time of this report.
A competent source in the state told Impact Nigeria News Online on Sunday, March 15, that following the incident, the Nigerian Army has increased the number of its men patrolling the road said to be a notorious route for bandits and terrorists.
In a related development, on Saturday night, around 11:00 p.m., bandits attacked Rafin Gora, a Fulani settlement in Tandama Ward, Dandume Local Government Area of Katsina State, leaving one resident injured and resulted in the theft of hundreds of cattle.
However, in a swift action, community members, working alongside local vigilantes and Katsina Community Watch Committee (CWC) in Dandume, pursued the attackers and successfully recovered about 100 stolen cattle.
The attack comes despite a peace agreement between stakeholders in the local government and bandits to ensure that nobody was attacked during the Ramadan fasting period.
Also, report from Bargaja village in Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto State indicated mass exodus as residents are fleeing following repeated killings allegedly carried out by bandits loyal Bello Turji.
Despite the fact that many villagers are observing Ramadan fasting, families continue to leave their homes every morning in search of safety as the attackers now target the village on a weekly basis.
