Dare Babalola
Troops of the Joint Task Force have successfully repelled an attempted incursion by bandits into several communities in Shanono Local Government Area of Kano State, after engaging the attackers in a fierce and prolonged gun battle.
The gun battle, which began late Thursday night and continued into the early hours of Friday, affected Yankwada, Babanduhu, and surrounding villages in the locality.
The Nigerian Army’s Kano spokesperson, Maj. Zubair Babatunde, confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria, stating that the bandits, who were on motorcycles, attempted to invade the communities while firing sporadically.
Babatunde said the attack was a revenge mission following the loss of some of the bandits’ fighters to superior military firepower during an earlier encounter last week.
According to him, the assailants stormed the affected villages at about 1:00 a.m., prompting a swift response from the troops.
“The bandits were effectively engaged and dislodged by the military,” he said.
Babatunde added that the timely intervention of the JTF prevented casualties and significant damage to property in the affected communities.
He reassured residents of the area of the military’s commitment to protecting lives and property, urging them to continue to cooperate with security agencies by providing timely and credible information.
The army spokesperson said the military remained on high alert to prevent further attacks and sustain peace across the state.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Shanono/Bagwai Community Security Forum, Alhaji Yahya Bagobiri, confirmed the incident, saying the bandits came on a revenge mission after losing nine of their members to military firepower last week.
“The bandits, riding over 50 motorcycles, each carrying three persons armed with bazookas and other heavy weapons, raided Yankwada, Babanduhu, and other villages, opening fire from around 1:00 a.m. on Thursday to 5:00 a.m. on Friday, resulting in the killing of a civilian,” he said.
He, however, commended the military for preventing the bandits from penetrating the main towns.
“The bandits were dislodged by the military’s tactical fighting despite the fact that they came with heavy arms, but succeeded only in stealing 100 cows and killing one civilian,” Bagobiri said.
Bagobiri called on the Federal Government to provide more arms and deploy additional personnel to complement the gallant officers on the ground.
He assured that with more arms and the cooperation of the Nigerian Air Force, the bandits would be contained and the four local government areas — Shanono, Bagwai, Tsanyawa, and Gwarzo — would have peace.
“The intention of the bandits was to penetrate Kano, but the redeployment of more military personnel and provision of more arms would stop their criminal missions,” Bagobiri added.
When contacted, the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 3 Brigade Nigerian Army, Capt. Zubairu Babatunde, confirmed the attack via a WhatsApp message.
“All the details are true except they did not kill anyone and there was no rustling of cows,” Capt. Babatunde said in the WhatsApp message.
Recall that last week, no fewer than nine bandits were reportedly killed during a heavy exchange of gunfire between bandits and the Nigerian military at Bakaji and Unguwar Garma in the Goron Dutse area of the Shanono Local Government Area of Kano State.
Similarly, one vigilante member was said to have lost his life, while another was wounded during the encounter.
Troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation MESA, led by the 3 Brigade Nigerian Army, had in October in Shanono Local Government Area of Kano State neutralised no fewer than 19 bandits during an encounter.
