Suspected Bandits Kill 15 in Late-Night Attacks on Bauchi Villages

At least 15 people have been confirmed dead and several others injured following coordinated late-night attacks by suspected bandits on villages in the Gwana District of Alkaleri Local Government Area, Bauchi State.

The assailants struck on Saturday night, targeting the communities of Mansur, Digare, Sabuwar Sara, and Yalo.

Most of the victims were members of local vigilante groups from the Gwana and Duguri Districts, who had been safeguarding residents from recurrent cross-border attacks allegedly perpetrated by bandits from neighbouring Gombe, Plateau, and Taraba States.

According to eyewitness accounts, the attackers arrived heavily armed and opened fire indiscriminately, ambushing residents in their sleep and causing widespread panic.

The incident mirrors a series of past violent episodes in the region, including mass killings and livestock rustling, which have drawn repeated visits from Governor Bala Mohammed and top security officials for on-the-spot assessments.

Though the Bauchi State Police Command confirmed the attack, it withheld the official casualty figures.

However, the State Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, who visited the affected villages, ordered the deployment of tactical units to the area and assured residents of a sustained manhunt for the assailants.

Describing the incident as “utterly reprehensible” and a “significant threat to the peace and security of the state,” Aliyu vowed that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.

Meanwhile, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Ahmed Wakil, in a statement issued Monday, revealed that the ambush occurred during a routine forest patrol by local hunters between Bauchi and Plateau States.

He confirmed that casualties included both vigilante members and fleeing civilians.