Zamfara Villagers Reportedly Fight Back, Kill Over 30 Bandits in Three-Day Battle

Zamfara Villagers Reportedly Fight Back, Kill Over 30 Bandits in Three-Day Battle

Residents of Birnin Tudu community in Gummi Local Government Area of Zamfara State have reportedly killed more than 30 bandits during a three-day battle with armed men who invaded their community.

The residents said the attackers arrived in large numbers on motorcycles, opened fire and looted shops, triggering fierce resistance from villagers and local vigilantes.

The confrontation reportedly left three residents dead inside the community, while several others sustained injuries. Additional deaths were reported in neighbouring areas.

Speaking to Daily Trust on condition of anonymity, residents said the attackers struck on Tuesday morning when many villagers had left their homes for their farms.

One resident said the gunmen surrounded the community from different directions, catching the villagers off guard.

He explained that the attackers travelled on more than 100 motorcycles, with approximately three people riding on each motorcycle.

According to him, he counted 71 motorcycles while hiding from the gunmen.

The attackers reportedly moved through the community, shooting sporadically, breaking into shops and carting away goods.

Rather than abandon their homes, some residents decided to confront the gunmen.

The resident said the villagers drew strength from those who were prepared to defend the community, despite the attackers’ superior numbers and weapons.

He added that three villagers were killed during the clashes, while three others suffered fractures and another person sustained a gunshot wound.

The gunmen reportedly returned for another confrontation while residents were distributing batteries for their torchlights.

The villagers eventually pushed the attackers towards the eastern part of the community, the resident said.

Although the gunmen reportedly rustled cattle belonging to neighbouring communities, they did not take livestock from Birnin Tudu.

Residents Give Account of Bandits’ Movements

Another resident said the attackers operated in three groups during the invasion.

According to him, the first group travelled on motorcycles, while the second moved with rustled cattle. A third group followed behind.

He said the armed men used communication devices to contact associates hiding in surrounding bushes and coordinate their movements.

The resident said villagers initially counted 11 dead bandits but could not recover more weapons because another group of gunmen launched a fresh attack while they were attempting to collect the rifles.

He said the renewed assault forced the villagers to abandon their efforts to recover the weapons.

On Thursday morning, residents reportedly received intelligence that the gunmen were approaching from the western side of the community.

The information prompted villagers and local vigilantes to prepare for another possible confrontation.

They also received reports that the attackers had rustled cattle from Sabon Garin Kaddagi village and were moving towards Kwartaga forest.

According to the resident, local vigilantes in the area confirmed sightings of the gunmen and reportedly positioned themselves to prevent the attackers from entering the community.

Subsequent reports from the area indicated that more than 30 bandits had been killed during the clashes, although the figure was based on residents’ accounts and had not been independently verified.

The resident also reported that, besides the three people killed inside Birnin Tudu, another person died outside the community, while a separate death was reported in Dantsullutu.

Escapee Reportedly Reveals Bandits’ Losses

The resident also recounted the experience of a villager who allegedly escaped from the bandits’ captivity and returned home.

According to him, the escapee overheard a bandit leader reprimanding his men over the operation in Birnin Tudu.

The leader reportedly complained that more than 30 members of the group had been killed during the confrontation.

The resident said the captive escaped when the gunmen ordered him to help push a motorcycle belonging to one of them.

After the motorcycle started, the man reportedly moved away, ran into tall crops and eventually found his way home.

The account could not be independently verified.

Residents Deny Gold Mining Dispute

The villagers also dismissed reports that a bandit leader identified as Gwaska attacked Birnin Tudu because the community refused to allow him to mine gold in the area.

One resident described the report as false, insisting that the villagers remained determined to defend their homes.

He said the community had no intention of abandoning its ancestral land despite the threat posed by armed groups.

The confusion surrounding the report was partly linked to the existence of two communities named Birnin Tudu in Zamfara State.

One is located in Gummi Local Government Area, where residents reported the three-day confrontation, while the other is in Anka Local Government Area.

The village head of Birnin Tudu in Anka told Daily Trust that no attack had occurred in his community.

The Zamfara State Police Command also dismissed reports of an attack on the Anka community over a gold mining dispute.

The police spokesperson, DSP Yazid Abubakar, confirmed that an incident had occurred in Birnin Tudu, Gummi LGA, and said security measures had been strengthened to protect residents.

He said the command was intensifying efforts to provide the community with adequate police support.

Vigilante Commander Seeks Government Support

Following the clashes, the vigilante commander in Birnin Tudu, Bello Abubakar, popularly known as Bello Karo Birnin Tudu, appealed to security agencies and the Gummi Local Government Council to provide additional personnel and equipment.

Abubakar said the community had received information about the movement of a large group of bandits since Monday, but the attackers did not strike until Tuesday morning, when many residents had gone to their farms.

He recalled that fewer than 10 villagers were available to guard the community when they received information about the approaching gunmen.

The vigilante commander suspected that an informant might have disclosed the villagers’ plans and the location of their intended ambush, forcing the attackers to change their route.

He said the gunmen entered through the eastern side, bypassing the villagers’ blockade, before splitting into two groups.

According to him, one group moved towards Koga village, while the other headed for Hishi village.

The movement gave the villagers time to regroup and block the entrances to their community.

Abubakar said the vigilantes routinely moved towards areas where gunshots were heard to reinforce their colleagues.

He recalled that the community had faced a similar attack about two years earlier, when residents claimed to have killed more than 15 bandits without suffering any casualties.

He warned that another attack could occur in retaliation for the latest clashes.

The vigilante commander urged the government to deploy additional security personnel and provide an armoured vehicle to strengthen the community’s defences.

He also appealed to the Gummi Local Government Chairman, Aminu Falale, to assist the villagers with equipment, including torchlights and other essential supplies.

Abubakar said the prolonged confrontation had depleted much of the community’s available resources.

Falale declined to comment on the matter over the telephone, asking the reporter to meet him in person. He ended the call after the reporter requested an appointment.

Efforts to contact Adamu Aliyu Gazura, the member representing the constituency in the Zamfara State House of Assembly, were unsuccessful because his telephone numbers were unreachable.

Retired Military Officer Warns of Possible Reprisal

A retired military officer and security expert, Bello Muhammad Bakyasuwa Maradun, has called on the Zamfara State Government to urgently strengthen security in Birnin Tudu to prevent further violence.

Maradun, a former commandant of the state’s Anti-Thuggery unit, warned that the community could face retaliatory attacks following the reported deaths of the gunmen.

He commended the residents for standing their ground but stressed that their courage should not become a substitute for effective government protection.

According to him, the confrontation demonstrated the importance of community participation in addressing insecurity, particularly in rural areas where armed groups frequently target vulnerable settlements.

He advocated stronger community-based security arrangements, better intelligence-sharing and surveillance equipment to help residents identify threats early and alert security agencies.

However, Maradun cautioned that any provision of weapons to community members must comply with the law and remain subject to appropriate supervision.

He warned against interpreting the reported deaths of more than 30 bandits as proof that the armed groups had been defeated.

Instead, he urged the government and security agencies to act swiftly to prevent reprisals, protect residents and restore confidence in the affected communities.

He said the priority should be to turn the villagers’ determination into a coordinated security response capable of preventing further attacks and securing lasting peace in Zamfara State.