Police deploy tactical team to affected area
Armed bandits on Sunday morning laid an ambush on a band of local hunters, who patrol the forest that links Duguri, Mansur and Dajin Mada communities in Alkaleri Local Council of Bauchi State, leaving no fewer than 10 casualties behind.

However, according to sources who spoke with counter-insurgency expert, Zagazola Makama, at least 19 people were killed in the bandits’ attack along the Bauchi-Plateau border.

In a condolence message, Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, described the attack as a heinous and senseless act of violence as well as a painful reminder of the continued threat posed by criminal elements who seek to disrupt the peace and security of the communities.

Residents of the areas claim that more than 10 corpses were buried, which included hunters and civilians that trying to escape the attack.

The police stated, yesterday, that the incident caused “numerous casualties” but did not specify the number of deaths.

Mansur, Duguri and other communities sharing borders with Plateau, Gombe and Taraba states had been attacked many times in the past by armed bandits that Governor Mohammed visited the area more than two times to condole with them.

Media aide to the governor, Mukhtar Gidado, stated that his boss prayed for the repose of the souls of the fallen heroes, who paid the ultimate price in the line of duty to protect their communities.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the deceased included both quasi-security operatives and civilians from Sabuwar Sara village, who were mercilessly shot by the bandits.

The Commissioner of Police (CP) was at the scene of the crime and had reportedly deployed tactical teams where he conducted an on-the-spot assessment in Alkaleri and urged stakeholders to be calm and vigilant while supporting the police.

In a statement, yesterday, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), CSP Ahmed Wakil, on behalf of the CP, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, disclosed that the attack occurred around 5.40 a.m. on Sunday and was reported to the Alkaleri Divisional Headquarters at about 9.40 am.

According to the statement, a band of local hunters from Duguri and Gwana districts was conducting a routine patrol through the Duguri-Mansur axis and Dajin Madam forest, which borders Plateau, when they were ambushed by heavily armed bandits.