Many people have been reported dead as bandits opened fire on members of the Ansaru terrorists sect in Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The Ansaru terrorists were reportedly “preaching” to the villagers when bandits opened fire on them, killing two locals.
The bandits stormed Damari village under Kazage Ward in Eastern part of the local government in an attempt to dislodge the terrorists from the village.
Ishaq Usman Kafai, Chairman, Birnin-Gwari Emirate Progressive Union (BEPU), who confirmed the incident said the clash between the two groups lasted for an hour.
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According to him, the Ansaru members who were also heavily armed overpowered the bandits which made them (bandits) to retreat from the village.
“There were damages during the clash; a shop was burnt; two vehicles were burnt; a Private Hospital was burnt. Two locals (labourers) were also killed by the bandits while the bandits were running away into the forest,” he said.
Ishaq said the hospital was burnt accidentally due to the fire that spread from a burning vehicle.
He said the casualty figure between the armed bandits and the Ansaru members couldn’t be ascertained but said the locals hailed the Ansaru members for defending the town from the bandits attack.
It was further gathered that hundreds of residents including women and children fled from the town during the attack.
The group said the attack was organized because the bandits knew the Ansaru members were in the town.
The Ansaru members reportedly continued with their preaching after the fight and advised the villagers to acquire arms to defend themselves against enemies as well as fight government in order to establish an Islamic State.
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer in Kaduna, DSP Mohammed Jalige, promised to find out what actually happened from the Police Area Command area before commenting on the incident.
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