Troops of the Nigerian Army killed 14 suspected bandits in Gora community in Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The operation took place late on Tuesday night. Soldiers also recovered seven operational motorcycles that belonged to the group.
Bandits arrived in large numbers on motorcycles with two riders on each bike. They carried dangerous weapons and initially tried to ambush military personnel in the area.
Troops who already knew the bandits’ movements launched a counter-ambush between Gora and Gidan Barau communities. As a result, the armed men were caught by surprise.
One local source who preferred anonymity for security reasons said the bandits got trapped in the counter-ambush. “At the end of the day, 14 of the bandits were killed, while seven motorcycles belonging to the bandits were recovered by the troops,” the source stated.
Some surviving bandits later returned to the scene in an attempt to retrieve the bodies of their colleagues. They then ran into another military ambush.
Traditional rulers in the area confirmed the incident. Alhaji Gora, the Mai Unguwa of Gora community, and Abdulaziz Sardauna, another traditional title holder in the local government, verified the details of the operation.
Sources from the area noted that bandits had previously operated almost daily in some rural communities. Those activities included kidnapping and the rustling of domestic animals.
The Katsina State Government and the state Police Command had not issued official statements on the operation at the time of the reports.
