Members of the Ansaru terrorist sect have been attacked by bandits in Kaduna State’s Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area.
According to information obtained by Daily Trust, two villagers were killed when bandits opened fire while the sect members were “preaching” to locals.
According to reports, the bandits stormed Damari village in Kazage Ward in the local government’s Eastern region in an effort to drive the terrorists out of the community.
The terrorists have taken control of communities in the Eastern part of the LGA, protecting villagers from bandit attacks, according to a Daily Trust report.
The Birnin-Gwari Emirate Progressive Union (BEPU) Chairman, Ishaq Usman Kafai, who confirmed the incident, said the altercation between the two groups lasted for an hour.
He claimed that the Ansaru members, who were also well-armed, had defeated the bandits and forced them to flee the village.
“During the altercation, there were damages; a shop, two vehicles, and a private hospital were all burned. In addition, the bandits killed two locals (labourers) as they fled into the forest, he claimed.
Ishaq claimed that an unintentional fire started by a burning vehicle caused the hospital to burn down.
He claimed that it was impossible to determine how many of the armed bandits and Ansaru members were killed, but he added that the locals had praised the Ansaru members for protecting the town from the bandits’ attack.
The Daily Trust also ascertained that during the attack, hundreds of residents, including women and children, fled the town.
According to the group, the bandits planned the attack because they knew there were Ansaru members in the town.
After the battle, he claimed, the Ansaru members continued to preach, advising the populace to both seize weapons in order to defend themselves against adversaries and to take up arms against the government in an effort to establish the so-called Islamic State.
DSP Mohammed Jalige, the state police public relations officer in Kaduna, was contacted and promised to ascertain the details from the Police Area Command area before making any comments.
