A violent confrontation between armed bandits and local vigilantes has left five people dead in Bargaja village in Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The incident reportedly occurred in the early hours of Sunday when a group of bandits launched an attack on the rural community at about 1:30 a.m. According to a local source, the attackers entered the village through an isolated route on the outskirts.
Some of the bandits were said to have hidden in trees near the village cemetery, while others quietly moved into a house at the edge of the settlement where vigilantes were stationed to guard the area.
During the initial exchange of gunfire, one vigilante was killed before his colleagues responded. The counterattack by the vigilantes resulted in the death of three of the suspected bandits.
However, the attackers later tracked down another vigilante who had taken refuge inside a house and killed him. The two vigilantes who lost their lives in the clash were identified as Umar Ibrahim and Abubakar Abdullahi.
Sources also revealed that the bandits used a donkey to transport the bodies of their slain members while abandoning their motorcycles at a distance from the village to avoid being traced.
The attack triggered panic among residents, with some attempting to flee the community. However, local leaders, including the village head and the area’s security commander, intervened to calm the situation.
Confirming the incident, the Sokoto State Police Command spokesman, DSP Ahmad Rufai, said the police were aware of the attack and the casualties recorded.
