Army Captain Abducted, Six Soldiers, Scores of Local Vigilantes Killed by Gunmen in Niger, Sokoto

Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto and Laleye Dipo in Minna

No fewer than six soldiers and an unknown number of local vigilantes have been reportedly killed by bandits in the Shiroro Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State.

The incident, which occurred yesterday also led to the abduction of an unnamed Captain in the Nigerian Army.
The Sokoto State Police Command has also confirmed the killing of six persons in a bloody confrontation between vigilantes and suspected bandits at Gada weekly market in the state on Thursday.

According to reports the bandits were said to have stormed Kukoki and Sarari camps of the soldiers in Niger State and rained bullets on them.
The state Commissioner for Internal Security, Major General Abdullahi (rtd), did not respond to calls made to his mobile phone.
Also, the state police command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, could not be reached for comment as at time of filing this report.
 Meanwhile, the Sokoto State Police Command has confirmed the death of six persons after a bloody confrontation between vigilantes and suspected bandits at Gada weekly market in the state on Thursday.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Ahmed Rufa’i, who confirmed the development in Gada LGA, said the police were still investigating the incident.
“I can confirm to you that we recovered six bodies suspected to be of Fulanis killed by the vigilantes left unattended on the market day on Thursday in Gada town,” he stated.

The incident, according to eyewitnesses, started when a leader of the Gidan Hashimu village vigilante group made a move to arrest and interrogate a notorious cattle rustler seen loitering in the market. The move was resisted by the Fulani group around the market.

The suspected bandits at the height of the crisis shot and killed the vigilante leader, which sparked reprisal attacks by members of the vigilante group.
Before the arrival of the police team to the market, more than six people were killed.
The vigilantes in the area, provoked by the killing of their leader, went on reprisal attacks on Fulani communities in the area where over 50 people were alleged to have been dislodged by the rampaging group.

Also confirming the bloody confrontation,  a legislator in the state House of Assembly representing Gada LGA, Hon. Kabiru Gada, said: “the incident occurred when a suspected bandit leader was said to have been seen in the Gada market making purchases and some vigilante leaders identified him and demanded his arrest and interrogation, which he resisted and they instantly shot and macheted the vigilante leader of Gidan Hashimu village to death, which prompted reprisal attack against the Fulanis from members of the vigilantes.

“The report at my disposal shows that many people were killed; some with injuries sustained from gunshots fired by both sides; some Fulanis and vigilantes lost their lives,” he explained.