By Abdullahi Abdulrahaman Chakwa, Gusau
Suspected bandits have killed several security personnel, traders and members of a local vigilante group in separate attacks on a gold mining site.
Security operatives and residents told Daily Trust that the attacks occurred in Bindin village in Bungudu Local Government Area, along the Dansadau road in Maru LGA, in Gwashi district of Bukkuyum LGA, and around Damba on the outskirts of Gusau, the state capital.
In Bindin, a resident claimed that nine soldiers and three mobile policemen were killed when suspected bandits attacked a mining site and a military camp in the area.
The resident, who spoke to Daily Trust on condition of anonymity, blamed the attack on notorious bandit leader Gwaska Dankarami, who reportedly operates around Dangulbi in Maru LGA, Bindin in Bungudu and parts of Bagege in Anka LGA.
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According to him, the attack was a reprisal after miners resisted an attempt by one of Dankarami’s men to impose the group’s rules at a gold mining site outside its area of control.
He said the miners killed the bandit, prompting Dankarami and his men to launch an attack on the mining site.
“Gwaska Dankarami went to the mining site and killed people haphazardly,” the resident alleged.
He said the mining site was close to Bindin village, forcing people fleeing the attack to seek refuge in the community, where the assailants reportedly pursued them.
“When he attacked the mining site, the people ran to the village for safety, and the bandits followed them,” he said.
The resident said the actual number of casualties remained uncertain because bodies were still being recovered from mining pits and surrounding bushes.
“Nobody can tell the actual number of people killed because some were even killed in the pits. As I speak to you, many bodies are being discovered, and I believe others will still be found either at the mining site or in the bush,” he claimed.
He further alleged that nine soldiers and three mobile policemen were killed when the bandits attacked a security camp in the area.
The resident said it was not the first time Dankarami had attacked a military position there, recalling an alleged attack last year in which two or three soldiers were killed.
He claimed that the bandit leader initially refused to release the corpses but eventually did so after appeals.
The latest incident, he said, had heightened fear among residents, particularly amid reports that the military was considering relocating its personnel from Bindin to Dangulbi.
“What we are hearing is that the military base is preparing to relocate to Dangulbi village. This has thrown the people into fear and uncertainty over their continued stay in Bindin, despite the local dialogue and reconciliation that had previously taken place,” he said.
Traders ambushed on Dansadau road
In a separate incident, traders travelling towards Dansadau in Maru LGA were reportedly ambushed by bandits, who set about 12 vehicles ablaze.
A resident, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said the attack occurred a day after soldiers discovered improvised explosive devices (IEDs) along the road.
He said the discovery apparently led some travellers to believe that the route was safe, prompting them to resume their journey.
According to him, the convoy came under attack at a section of the road where construction work had yet to begin.
“The bandits attacked them, and people opened the cars and ran for safety. Others were killed, while some survived the attack,” he said.
The resident alleged that the assailants had laid an ambush and set about 12 vehicles on fire, destroying them.
The incident came after hundreds of commuters were reportedly stranded at Magamin Maitarko for more than eight days, resulting in substantial losses of perishable goods and livestock.
A trader identified as Muhammad Salisu Dansadau lamented what he described as the lack of adequate security support for traders travelling to their communities.
He said prolonged delays had led to the loss of tomatoes, pepper and livestock, while some travellers became ill and others were reduced to begging.
He, however, commended residents of Magamin Maitarko for providing stranded travellers with food, water and shelter.
“We are grateful for the hospitality of the people of Magamin Maitarko. They gave our people food, water and shelter for days, but their supplies have now been exhausted,” he said.
Eight security personnel, 12 civilians reportedly killed in Gwashi
In another attack, suspected bandits reportedly ambushed traders travelling from Gwashi district to Gurusu market in Bukkuyum LGA alongside a convoy escorted by security personnel.
A resident alleged that eight security personnel and 12 civilians were killed, while several others sustained injuries.
He said the security personnel killed comprised five soldiers, two mobile policemen and one officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
However, casualty figures provided by residents differed, with another source putting the number of security personnel killed at nine.
The attack reportedly disrupted activities at the Sunday market in Gurusu, leaving traders and residents fearful of further violence.
A resident, while acknowledging the courage of security personnel operating in the area, called on the government to provide them with better equipment to confront the attackers.
“As a matter of urgency, provide bulletproof vehicles to the military at the Anka-Bukkuyum axis. Our soldiers are brave, but they are exposed. How can they fight enemies with superior arms in open Hilux vans?” he asked.
Bandits kill vigilantes at Kaikaice
Meanwhile, suspected bandits have reportedly killed four members of a local vigilante group known as Askarawa in Damba district of the outskirts of Gusau, while one other member sustained gunshot wounds.
A resident said the vigilantes were attacked at a village called Kaikaiche, near Karazau, after allegedly being tracked by the assailants.
He suspected that informants might have disclosed the vigilantes’ movements to the attackers.
According to him, the group had visited the area to harvest rice the previous day and returned safely before the assailants allegedly laid an ambush for them on their second trip.
He said the vigilantes were accompanied by two labourers, bringing the number of people in the group to five.
The resident alleged that four people were killed, while one survived with gunshot wounds.
He added that residents spent a day and a night searching for one of the missing victims before his body was eventually found around the Yandoto axis.
Police, military yet to comment
Efforts by Daily Trust to obtain confirmation from the Zamfara State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Yazid Abubakar, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
Attempts to reach the Acting Army Information Officer at the Joint Task Force North-West Headquarters, 8 Division of the Nigerian Army, Gusau, Lt. Col. Aliyu Danja, were also unsuccessful, as his phone was unreachable.