At least 70 vigilantes were reported killed in a clash with bandits around Kukawa and Bunyun Communities of Kanam local government area of Plateau state.
Residents of the area reported that the incident occurred around 2 pm Monday afternoon when hundreds of vigilantes from Wase local government area were on their way to bandits’ hideouts and were suddenly ambushed with the victims killed.
Chairman of the vigilante group in Kukawa Aliyu Baffa told our correspondent that “more than 70 vigilantes were killed” in the ambush, adding that more bodies could be recovered in the bush.
According to the vigilante chairman, the clash occurred just a kilometer away from the main Kukawa town, when bandits ambushed the vigilantes as they were heading to a their hideout, located in the government reserve forest popularly know as Madam Forest which shares border with Bauchi and Taraba communities.
Baffa further claimed that several vigilante bodies were recovered from farm lands after the clash, saying, “We have buried more than 60 in Kukawa alone. It’s likely that more bodies could be recovered from either side. Some vigilantes who escaped confirmed that they were overwhelmed by the bandits.”
A resident of Bunyun, Nyalun ward, Bashar district, Wase Local Government Area, Musa Ibrahim, also confirmed that the bandits attacked the community and killed 10 vigilantes who were providing security in the area.
Ibrahim added that the bandits also burned many houses in the community.
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