About 18 bandits have been killed and dangerous weapons recovered during a raid by security operatives and vigilantes in Zurak community of Wase local government area of Plateau State.
The raid, which took place on Monday, sources in the area resulted in the killing of the bandits and their informants and some traditional rulers whom the community felt had betrayed them.
The latest incident occurred two weeks after bandits attacked a market in the same Zurak where they had killed seven people.
A youth leader in Wase, Shapi’i Sambo, confirmed the incident, stating that the criminals were killed in a combined operation involving security operatives and a vigilante groups, which tracked the bandits to their hideouts.
Samba said the bandits were attacked while they were holding a meeting in one of their hideouts.
The youth leader said, “The incident occurred around 11 am while they were holding a meeting in the area. It was a coordinated effort by security operatives and the vigilantes from Wase and neighbouring communities of Taraba State.”
Another youth leader in the Wase, Abdullahi Usman, who also confirmed the incident, said, “The bandits gathered in a place when suddenly the security personnel and the vigilantes stormed the area. They had been targeted since after the recent attack on the market in the area. Based on credible information, they were confronted at one location. Their accomplices were also tracked down and killed.”
When contacted on the development, the spokesperson of the state police command, DSP Alabo Alfred, neither answered calls to his mobile phone nor responded to text messages by reporters.
In another development a poultry farm was set ablaze in Etobaba community in Jos North LGA by angry youths who were protesting the alleged killing of a worker
It was reported that violence broke out yesterday when the angry youths stormed the street to protest the alleged killing of a poultry farmer by the owner of the farm.
According to a source from the community who simply gave his name as Amos Pius, alleged that a youth who worked in the farm was beaten to death by the owner of the farm for stealing some eggs.
He explained that ” When the news of the death of the poultry worker filtered in, some irate youths from the community stormed the farm and set it ablaze.
Another eyewitness account said the aggrieved youths took the matter into their own hands.
He also added that another house in the community was set ablaze by the youths while some youths sustained various degrees of injuries.
“Men of the Plateau Fire service that came to put out the fire were chased away by irate Youths in the community.”
As of the time of filing this report, peace had been restored to the community by security operatives .