Residents of Matusgi village in Talata Mafara Local Government Area, Zamfara State, successfully repelled a terrorist attack on Wednesday afternoon, resulting in the deaths of at least 37 assailants.
The confrontation occurred around 2 p.m. when bandits arrived on motorbikes with the intention of abducting locals.
According to a resident who wished to remain anonymous, the terrorists intended to abduct locals as they had done in previous attacks.
However, this time, the villagers were prepared. “We were alerted in advance and decided to take a stand,” the resident told Daily Trust.
Armed with locally-made firearms and traditional weapons, the villagers encircled the area and fought back fiercely, preventing the terrorists from escaping.
Despite the bandits’ sporadic gunfire intended to intimidate, the villagers maintained their position. After an hour of intense fighting, the bandits retreated, leaving ten dead.
Refusing to let the attackers regroup, the villagers reorganized and set up an ambush, which resulted in the deaths of 27 more bandits when they attempted to return.
Alhaji Ciroma Muhammad, the District Head of Matusgi, confirmed the incident and acknowledged the heavy toll on the community.
“Three of our people were killed during the clash,” he stated. 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,” he added.
The District Head expressed concern over the frequent attacks and the increasing boldness of the bandits.
The District Head also reported that neighboring villages saw the bandits transporting the bodies of their dead comrades on motorbikes.
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