Suspected bandits have reportedly killed the vigilante head and 24 others in Kanoma district of Maru Local Government Area, Zamfara State.
The assailants were said to have targeted a prominent vigilante leader, Dahiru Dangamji, along with three of his trusted lieutenants, whom they trapped in a forest located 5km south of Kanoma town, mercilessly shooting them dead.
READ ALSO: Bandits Attack Palace in Kaduna, Abduct Monarch’s Wife, 9 Children
According to residents of the community, the vigilante leader had been a prime target for the bandits for a very long time.
“The news of the killing of the vigilante leader filtered into the community. Shortly afterward, dozens of armed vigilantes mobilized and headed to the forest to confront the armed criminals and avenge the killing of their leader,” a resident revealed.
“But the gunmen who were informed that the vigilantes were coming into the forest laid an ambush and shot dead 16 of them. However, casualties were also recorded on the part of the armed men. Reports said more than ten of them were killed. But, this cannot be independently verified.
READ ALSO: How Bandits Killed 1,266, Kidnapped 4,973 in 15 Months in Kaduna
“The armed criminals thereafter moved to a goldmine near the Danzara community and shot dead five artisanal miners. The bodies of the slain miners and the vigilantes are being scooped from the forest for burial.
This incident has left the Kanoma community on edge, as reports indicate the presence of armed men approaching the town, potentially for another attack.
