On Wednesday morning, security forces, comprising military personnel and local vigilantes, successfully neutralized several bandit groups in Kundu village along the Zungeru-Tegina road in the Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State.
The operation caused widespread panic in the Zungeru Wednesday Market, with residents evacuating their homes amidst hours of intense gunfire.
According to sources, the bandit groups were crossing the area in large numbers toward the Akare axis in the Wushishi Local Government Area when the military launched an ambush. A military officer, speaking anonymously, said the troops had been monitoring the bandits’ movements based on intelligence reports indicating their usual route.
“Our soldiers recorded success against them,” the military source told Daily Trust, noting that the bandits typically do not abandon the bodies of their fallen comrades.
Niger State Commissioner for Homeland Security, Brigadier General Bello Abdullahi Mohammed (rtd), commented on the operation: “This success is a stepping stone for us to prepare more because terrorists hardly accept defeat.”
A local resident recounted the event, saying, “We heard gunshots for several hours. The bandits rode on about 40 motorcycles and were crossing the road around Kundu village. They had already stopped some cattle they intended to rustle when soldiers and vigilantes ambushed them. Thank God, the security operatives overpowered them, forcing them to retreat.”
Another resident, who wished to remain anonymous, added, “We heard of their movement since Tuesday, and our vigilantes were on alert. They were by the roadside when they saw them coming on Wednesday morning. Soldiers were alerted and ambushed them. Thank God soldiers were there; it would have been a different story because our vigilantes wouldn’t have been able to fight them due to their weapons and number.”
News Editor