Daniel Atori, Minna
No fewer than 20 vigilantes have been killed by armed Bandits in an ambush in Kotonkoro village of Mariga Local Government Area of Niger.
Findings also have it that the bandits attacked a military base in the same Kotonkoro on Wednesday during which one soldier was killed and another abducted.
The commandant of the vigilantes in the local government, Abu Hashimu on Thursday confirmed the killing of his men to journalists in telephone interview.
According to him: “The slain vigilantes were returning from search operation when they were ambushed. 16 of them were killed on the spot while the bandits pursued four others who tried to escape and also gunned them down.”
He said that the bodies of the slain vigilantes have been recovered, adding that a joint security operation, consisting of military and vigilantes, has launched a manhunt for the bandits.
It was further gathered that the combined security team entered the Dutse Magajiya forest on Thursday searching for the bandits.
