Residents of Matusgi village in Zamfara State’s Talata Mafara Local Government Area fought off a bandit attack in an act of self-defense, managing to kill around 37 of the attackers.
The incident, which took place on Wednesday afternoon, was a major win for the villagers who had been under constant threat from bandits.
According to an unnamed resident, the bandits came on motorcycles at about 2 p.m. with plans to kidnap locals, similar to their previous assaults.
We were alerted in advance and decided to take a stand,” the resident narrated.
While equipped with homemade guns and traditional weapons, the villagers encircled the area and fought back fiercely, preventing the bandits from escaping.
The bandits started by shooting randomly, trying to scare the villagers. Even though the bandits had more weapons, the residents stood their ground. After an intense hour of fighting, the bandits had to run away, leaving behind ten of their dead.
Instead of letting the attackers regroup, the villagers quickly got organized and set up a trap. When the bandits came back, 27 more of them were killed in the ambush.
Alhaji Ciroma Muhammad, the District Head of Matusgi, confirmed the event and acknowledged the heavy losses suffered by the community.
He added, “Three of our people were killed during the clash,” he said. Alhaji Muhammad also revealed that the bandits had attacked the village 12 times before this latest incident.
“Three weeks ago, they kidnapped 23 people, mostly women, and demanded a ransom of N150,000 per person. After payment, only seven women were released, and the rest are still in captivity.”
The District Head shared worries about the regular assaults and the growing confidence of the bandits.
He mentioned that nearby villages had observed the bandits moving the bodies of their dead companions on motorcycles following the confrontation.
