Army arrests 2 Zamfara traditional rulers for working with bandits

Troops of the Nigerian Army have arrested two traditional rulers in crisis-ridden Zamfara State for working with bandits.

Zamfara has been terribly-hit with a wave of kidnappings and killings by bandits with the state becoming the face of insecurity in the country over the past few months.

According to a statement by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Sagir Musa, the village Heads of Doka and Mutu villages in Gusau local government area of the state were arrested alongside 16 other suspected informants and errand men to the bandits.

Their arrests came after troops on Operation Habin Kunama III encountered a group of well-armed bandits in Doka and Mutu villages on Saturday, April 20, 2019.

Arms recovered from bandits [Facebook/HQ Nigerian Army] Pulse Nigeria

In a shootout that lasted for two hours, troops eventually overpowered the bandits who abandoned their camps and logistics, according to Col. Musa. Three motorcycles, two dane guns and two machetes were recovered.

The Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, recently accused traditional rulers in Zamfara of frustrating the efforts of the Armed Forces to stop the wave of killings and warned against further collaboration with bandits.

According to Col. Musa, troops also encountered and killed six bandits during a shootout in the bushes of Kirsa and Sunke villages in Anka LGA. Two AK-47 rifles and two motorcycles were recovered.