Incoming report confirmed that no fewer than five members of a local vigilance group were reportedly killed, and many bandits neutralised in a mother of all clashes between the two groups in the Kukawa and Bunyun communities of Kanam Local Government Area of Plateau State.
Hamish Anani, Chairman of Wase Local Government Area, confirmed in a telephone conversation that the vigilante group routed the bandits around Kukawa and Bunyun in Wase.
Anani, however, confirmed that five vigilantes lost their lives in the crossfire, while four are currently in the hospital, with three others transferred to Bauchi Hospital and one recuperating in Wase Hospital.
“Yes, the attack was true, but unfortunately, I saw a report this morning that 70 vigilantes were killed. The attack against the bandits was highly successful. We killed many of them, and others retreated into the bush with a lot of injuries.
“As the chief security officer of Wase Local Government, I am categorically telling you that the report is not true. If 70 vigilantes were killed, we should be having a mass burial by now.
We only buried five people, and four others were injured and in the hospital. Three were taken to Bauchi, and one was admitted in Wase Hospital.”We have checked, and we don’t know the chairman of the vigilante group who told that story. We are trying to locate him to show us where he buried the 70 people.”  Anani added.
Eyewitness accounts revealed that the incident occurred around 2 pm when hundreds of vigilantes from Wase Local Government were on their way to bandits’ hideouts but were ambushed.
However, Aliyu Baffa, chairman of the vigilante group in Kukawa, had earlier told newsmen that “more than 70 vigilantes were killed in the ambush,” adding that more bodies could be recovered in the bush.
Baffa confirmed the clash occurred just a kilometre from Kukawa town as vigilantes embarked on massive manhunt for bandits around the government reserve forest known as “Madam Forest,” which borders Bauchi and Taraba communities.
“We have buried more than 60 in Kukawa alone. More bodies could likely be recovered from either side. Some bandits who escaped confirmed the vigilantes were overwhelmed by the bandits,” he stated.
