Vigilante groups, on Tuesday, killed 31 bandits in Kanoma town of Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
Bandits, it would be recalled, had last Sunday attacked the town where they killed three persons and abducted eight nursing mothers.
An indigene of the town, Abubakar Ibrahim, told Punch that the bandits who attacked the town last Sunday had planned to return for another attack.
Ibrahim said they were, however, confronted by the vigilante group of Kanoma town and those from surrounding villages who got the information that the bandits were planning to attack the town again.
Ibrahim said, “The vigilante groups got the information that the bandits, who were on motorcycles, were on their way to our town (Kanoma) to launch another attack.
“So, immediately the vigilante heard this, they mobilised themselves and also invited other vigilante groups of surrounding villages who came and rendered help.”
Ibrahim said the military personnel attached to the town were also informed of the development, but none of them came.
Ibrahim maintained that the vigilante groups moved to the bush where the bandits were coming from and laid an ambush.
“He said, “Immediately the bandits came close to where the vigilante groups were hiding, they (bandits) were heavily attacked and ran helter-skelter because they were not expecting any attack.
“The vigilante groups were able to kill 31 bandits on the spot; as their dead bodies were counted, while others escaped with serious wounds.”
Ibrahim added that the bandits had returned to the scene and taken away some corpses and also burnt down others.
Efforts were made to speak to the spokesperson of the state police command, Mohammed Shehu, but he did not pick up his phone calls after several attempts.
Similarly, a text message was sent to him but he did not respond as of the time of filing this report.