Armed bandits attack three Bauchi villages

Armed men suspected to be bandits have attacked three villages in Gwana District of Alkaleri LGA, Bauchi State, killing and injuring innocent residents who were caught unawares.

Reports from the area indicate that the villages attacked included Mansur, Digare, Sabuwar Sara, and Yalo. The attack was carried out in the late hours of Saturday, during which no fewer than fifteen people were killed, with several others sustaining various injuries.

It was reliably gathered that most of the victims were members of local vigilante groups from Gwana and Duguri Districts, who had been operating jointly in the area to safeguard residents who have been under constant attack by bandits operating in the forests that share boundaries with Gombe, Plateau, and Taraba States.

In the past, the bandits had launched a series of deadly attacks on residents, killing people and rustling their animals—a development that prompted the Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, alongside security chiefs in the state, to visit the area for an on-the-spot assessment.

During the visit, the Governor urged residents to rise up and defend themselves by any means necessary against the bandits, assuring them that his administration would ensure the protection of lives and property.

Though the State Police Command has confirmed the incident, it did not disclose the exact number of casualties.

Meanwhile, the State Police Commissioner, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, has visited the scene of the crime to conduct an on-the-spot assessment of the situation and has ordered the deployment of tactical teams to the affected villages.

While in Alkaleri, the Commissioner engaged with relevant stakeholders, urging everyone to remain calm, vigilant, and supportive of police efforts to provide security. He also ordered a full-scale investigation into the matter.

According to the Command’s PPRO, CSP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, in a statement on Monday, the Police Commissioner strongly condemned the killings, expressing deep sorrow over the tragic loss of lives.

The Commissioner described the acts as “utterly reprehensible and a significant threat to the peace and security of the state” and assured the public that a full-scale operation was underway to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The PPRO stated: “On 4 May 2025, at about 09:40 hours, the Command received a report from Alkaleri Divisional Police Headquarters regarding an incident that had occurred earlier that same day at about 05:40 hours.”

He added: “A combined team of professional hunters from Duguri and Gwana Districts, while on a routine patrol along Duguri, Mansur, and the Dajin Madam forest bordering Bauchi and Plateau States, encountered an ambush by armed bandits.”

The PPRO further stated: “This confrontation resulted in numerous casualties on both sides, including members of the vigilante group and the bandits themselves.”

“Upon receiving the report, a team of operational tactical units was dispatched to the scene, where they recovered the bodies of casualties,” he added.

He further stated: “Preliminary investigations revealed that the deceased included both quasi-security operatives and civilians from Sabuwar Sara village, who were mercilessly shot by the bandits while attempting to flee the attack.”

The Command has mandated a specialised team to intensify efforts to apprehend those responsible for this heinous act, as well as any individuals found to be connected.

Police Commissioner Sani-Omolori Aliyu has extended his sincere condolences to the families affected by the tragic event and assured the public that the investigation will be conducted diligently to bring the perpetrators to justice.

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