A terrible tragedy happened on Monday in Plateau State when suspected bandits ambushed and killed more than 70 local vigilantes in the Kukawa and Bunyun communities of Kanam Local Government Area.
The Chairman of the Kukawa Vigilante Group, Aliyu Baffa, confirmed the attack on Tuesday. He said the victims were part of a joint security team made up of vigilantes from different parts of Wase Local Government Area. They were on a mission to find bandit hideouts in the area when they were suddenly attacked.
According to Baffa, the vigilantes were ambushed near Kukawa town, just about one kilometer away, in a forest called Madam Forest, which lies between Bauchi and Taraba states. He said the bandits, who had advanced weapons, opened fire on the unsuspecting group and killed many of them instantly.
“We have already buried more than 70 of our men here in Kukawa,” Baffa said. “Many others are still missing, and we’re afraid we might find more bodies in the surrounding bushes. Our men were simply outgunned. The bandits had more powerful weapons.”
The community is now in deep mourning, and mass burials for the victims were carried out by evening.
Baffa added that the vigilantes had answered the call to defend their communities but were overwhelmed by the strength of the attackers.
In a related incident, a resident of Bunyun village, Musa Ibrahim, said 10 more vigilantes were killed in his community during a similar attack. The bandits also set fire to several houses during the raid.
This incident is one of the deadliest single day losses for local security volunteers in the area and shows the increasing danger posed by armed gangs operating across state borders.
