By Grace Chigbu
At least 19 people were killed on Sunday morning in a violent ambush by armed bandits in Gwana district, Bauchi State, northeast Nigeria. According to the Bauchi State Police Command, the attack targeted a local vigilante patrol and nearby villagers.
In a statement released on Monday, the police said the ambush happened as a local security team patrolled the area. The bandits, heavily armed, opened fire, killing members of the patrol and several villagers attempting to escape.
“A team of operational tactical units was dispatched to the scene, where they recovered bodies of the casualties,” said Bauchi Police Commissioner Sani-Omolori Aliyu.
Eyewitness Ibrahim Hussaini confirmed a gunfight broke out between the patrol and the attackers, leading to several deaths among the vigilante members and some residents.
Mohammed Umar, a local vigilante from Alkaleri Local Government Area, told Reuters by phone that the attackers also rustled a large number of cattle and sheep before fleeing the area.
Armed banditry has become a major security threat in Nigeria, particularly in the northwest and parts of the northeast. These groups, often involved in kidnapping, cattle rustling, and violent raids, have made rural areas increasingly unsafe for residents and farmers.
Sunday’s attack adds to the growing toll of lives lost to insecurity in northern Nigeria, where local and federal authorities continue to face challenges in restoring peace.
