Armed bandits have reportedly killed a soldier, abducted two other soldiers and kidnapped an unspecified number of villagers during a deadly attack on Tudun Bichi community in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
The attack, which also reportedly claimed the lives of two forest guards, has once again highlighted the growing security challenges facing communities in parts of north-west Nigeria, where armed gangs continue to target villages, travellers and security personnel.
According to residents, the attack took place on Monday morning in Tudun Bichi, a village located about six kilometres north-east of Wasagu town, where military personnel had been deployed to protect residents and support farming activities.
Witnesses said dozens of heavily armed bandits riding motorcycles stormed the community at about 10:49 a.m., leading to a fierce gun battle with soldiers stationed in the area.
Residents said the exchange of gunfire lasted for more than one hour before the attackers gained the upper hand.
A resident of Wasagu, identified as Altine Wasagu, said people in nearby communities were thrown into panic as the sound of gunfire echoed across the area.
“We started hearing gunshots around 11:50 a.m., and the exchange of fire lasted for more than one hour,” he said.
According to him, one soldier was killed during the clash.
He further claimed that the attackers overpowered the troops, abducted two soldiers, two forest guards and an unconfirmed number of villagers before fleeing the community.
Altine also said an almajiri pupil was reportedly killed after being hit by a stray bullet during the exchange of gunfire.
Another resident, Abubakar Bala, said he narrowly escaped being caught in the attack while working on his farm.
He explained that he quickly climbed a tree after hearing gunshots and remained there until the attackers left the area.
“I was on my farm when I heard gunshots, so I climbed a tree and hid there. It was terrifying,” he said.
According to Bala, the attackers arrived in large numbers.
“By my count, the bandits came on more than 57 motorcycles carrying sophisticated weapons. They attacked the military personnel stationed in Tudun Bichi, overpowered them, killed one soldier, carted away their rifles and left with two soldiers, two forest guards and many villagers,” he added.
Residents said they were still trying to determine the exact number of villagers kidnapped during the attack.
Many families reportedly fled the community for safety, while others searched for missing relatives after calm returned.
As of the time of filing this report, local authorities had yet to provide an official figure for those abducted.
Efforts to obtain comments from the Chairman of Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area, Hussaini Aliyu Bena, were unsuccessful.
Telephone calls made to his mobile phone were not answered, while a text message sent to him had not received a response.
However, security sources familiar with the operation gave a slightly different account of the incident.
The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief the media, confirmed that one soldier and two forest guards were killed during the attack.
According to them, the bandits struck while troops were escorting farmers to their farmlands as part of ongoing security operations aimed at protecting residents during the farming season.
One of the security sources said the soldiers fought back strongly despite being outnumbered.
“The bandits attacked and killed one soldier and two forest guards. However, the troops neutralised three bandits and recovered two motorcycles as well as their firearms. Reinforcements have been deployed and are currently trailing the fleeing bandits,” the source said.
The source did not immediately confirm reports that two soldiers had been abducted, leaving uncertainty over the fate of the missing personnel.
Security operatives are said to be conducting search operations in nearby forests to locate the abducted victims and track down the fleeing attackers.
Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area has witnessed repeated attacks by armed groups in recent years because of its proximity to forests that stretch across parts of Kebbi, Zamfara and Niger states.
The forests have long served as hideouts for criminal gangs involved in kidnapping, cattle rustling and attacks on rural communities.
Although military operations have led to the arrest or killing of several bandit leaders, many communities in the region continue to experience violent attacks.
Bandits often invade villages on motorcycles, loot food supplies, rustle livestock, burn homes and abduct residents for ransom.
In recent months, security forces have intensified joint operations involving the Nigerian Army, the Air Force, the Police and other security agencies to curb banditry across the North-West.
Authorities have also deployed forest guards and local vigilante groups to support military operations and improve intelligence gathering in remote communities.
Despite these efforts, attacks on both civilians and security personnel have continued, raising concerns about the ability of criminal gangs to regroup and launch coordinated assaults.
The latest attack on Tudun Bichi has renewed calls for stronger security measures to protect rural communities, especially during the farming season when many residents travel daily to their farms.
Community leaders have urged the Federal Government and security agencies to deploy more personnel and equipment to vulnerable areas and sustain military operations against armed groups operating in the forests.
They also appealed for increased surveillance and intelligence sharing to prevent future attacks and rescue those abducted.
As security operations continue in the area, residents remain anxious over the fate of the missing soldiers, forest guards and villagers.