'Battle ready' Eight dead as villagers fight bandits in Zamfara

Eight people have lost their lives when villagers put up a strong resistance against bandits who invaded Dutsin Gari and Rayau villages of Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

The development comes a few months after bandits abducted 40 worshippers, including the Imam in Dutsin Gari village during Friday prayers.

An eyewitness, Malam Ibro Mamman, said the bandits who were on motorcycles invaded the Dutsin Gari village on Monday with the intention of abducting some people but were squarely faced by the villagers, the Punch reported.

The villagers were said to have engaged the bandits in a fight which lasted several hours after which the bandits opened fire on the residents, leaving six persons dead.

Mamman said, “When the bandits realised that they could not succeed in their nefarious activity, they opened fire and killed six people, injured many before they moved to a nearby village called Rayau.

“In Rayau village, the bandits also faced similar challenges from the villagers who were battle-ready on receiving the report of what happened in Dutsin Gari village.

“The villagers came out in their large numbers and engaged the bandits in a gun battle where two of the villagers lost their lives and the bandits left without abducting anybody.”

Mamman also said the bandits returned to the two villages early this morning only to find out that many people had fled to Kanoma town for fear of a reprisal.

According to him, the angry bandits set many houses on fire and took away domestic animals.

Efforts to reach the spokesperson of the police command, Mohammed Shehu, were futile.