Troops of the 167 Battalion’s Operation Fadan-Yamma of the Nigerian Army deployed to Sabon-Iche in Kagarko LGA of Kaduna State have reportedly neutralised two bandits, recovered 22 rustled cows at Chigwalu village in Kachia LGA of the state.
According to reports, a resident of Kagarko, Ibrahim Ahmed, said the incident happened onSaturday, when bandits, in their large numbers, wielding AK-47 rifles, attacked four Fulani settlements and rustled over 400 cows.
He gave the names of the settlements as RuganWokili, Rugan Bawa, Rugan Yero and Rugan Kire near Janjala in Kagarko LGA.
He said the bandits came under heavy gunfire from the troops as they were trying to escape with the rustled cows.
The troops encountered the bandits at Chigwalu Forest around 2:12am onSunday, adding that the gun battle led to the killing of two bandits while several other gang members escaped with bullet wounds. 22 cows were recovered in the process.
He said the sound of gunfire forced some of the cows to run in different directions in the forest, even as he said the 22 were recovered at the spot.
“During the exchange of fire between the troops and the bandits, most of the cows scattered into the forest while some even sustained bullet wounds but 22 were recovered during the encounter.”;; he said
Ahmed said residents from five villages of Anguwan Lalli, Gidan Kwano, Sabon Gari, Katambi and Anguwa Toka have left, deserting the villages following the activities of bandits who have been terrorising villages in the area.
“Aside from these five villages, residences in Gidan Makeri, Kucumi and Taka-Lafiya were also deserted due to the activities of bandits that have been terrorising people of the communities,”;; he said.
A security source, who was part of the operation but preferred anonymity, confirmed the incident to our reporter, saying some of the bandits were neutralised while some escaped with bullet wounds.
