-
Over 20 security personnel and vigilantes killed after bandits ambushed a patrol team in Wanka.
-
Attack targeted a joint patrol team of the Nigerian Army and local vigilantes in Kanam Local Government Area.
-
Kanam Development Association calls for stronger security presence and support for affected communities.
The death toll from Friday’s bandit attack on security operatives in Kanam Local Government Area has risen to over 20, according to local authorities and community leaders.
The deadly ambush occurred in Wanka district, where a combined patrol team of the Nigerian Army and vigilante members came under heavy gunfire from suspected bandits.
ATTENTION: Click “HERE” to join our WhatsApp group and receive News updates directly on your WhatsApp!
The patrol team was reportedly travelling through Garga, Kyaram, Gyambau, and nearby communities when the attackers, who had laid an ambush, struck.
READ ALSO: Residents Flee Zamfara Village After Bandits Demand ₦10m, Rifle, Motorcycles
Earlier reports indicated that three soldiers, including a captain, and about seven vigilante members were killed during the encounter.
However, the Kanam Development Association (KADA) later confirmed that more than 20 personnel lost their lives in the attack.
In a statement jointly signed by the association’s Chairman Garba Aliyu and Secretary Shehu Kanam, the group said about 12 security personnel were killed instantly, including two senior military officers.
The group added that eight vigilante members who joined the operation to defend their communities also died during the gun battle.
According to the statement, the bandits later invaded Kyaram community, where they looted properties worth millions of naira and rustled a large number of cattle.
The association described the attack as part of the prolonged insecurity affecting border communities linking Plateau State, Taraba State, and Bauchi State, where residents have faced recurring banditry, kidnappings, and cattle rustling.
KADA called on the government to urgently deploy additional security forces to Garga, Kyaram, Gyambau, Wanka, and neighbouring communities.
It also urged authorities at the local, state and federal levels to provide relief support for victims and displaced residents who lost homes, livestock and livelihoods in the attack.
The association further advocated coordinated security operations along the Plateau–Taraba–Bauchi border corridor to curb the growing activities of bandits in the region.