A deadly gun battle between bandits and local vigilantes has left five people dead in Bargaja village, located in Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto State, according to report by Daily Post.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday when armed bandits reportedly invaded the community around 1:30 a.m. through a remote route on the outskirts of the village.
According to a local source, some of the attackers hid in trees near the village cemetery while others quietly entered a house at the edge of the community, where they confronted vigilantes stationed to guard the area.
One of the vigilantes was killed at the start of the confrontation, but others returned fire, killing three of the bandits during the exchange.
“The attackers later chased another vigilante who had taken refuge in a house and killed him,” the source said. The two slain vigilantes were identified as Umar Ibrahim and Abubakar Abdullahi.
The bandits reportedly fled the scene using a donkey to carry away the bodies of their dead members, abandoning their motorcycles at a distance to avoid being traced.
The attack triggered panic among residents, with some attempting to flee the village before community leaders, including the village head and the local security commander, intervened to restore calm.
Police spokesperson DSP Ahmad Rufai confirmed that the command is aware of the attack and the casualties recorded.