Gunmen have killed the head of a vigilante group in Danmusa village in Katsina State, Malam Nabanje, and burned his house.
The gunmen, while targeting the vigilante leader during their operations, also shot two people and reportedly raped three women during the attack.
One of the locals and a fellow vigilante from Danmusa, who spoke to newsmen in Katsina on the incident, said the attack was more of a revenge mission as the bandits had accused Nabanje of being responsible for the destruction of their enclaves.
He said, “The bandits arrived in the community in large numbers and proceeded to the residence of our vigilante commander.
“They blocked all routes to avoid him escaping. After a painstaking search, they found him under a tree, where they engaged him in a gun duel until he ran out of ammunition and was rounded up when he sought refuge in a compound where he was butchered.”
The spokesman of Katsina Police Command, ASP Abubakar Sadiq, who confirmed the report during a chat with newsmen, said the report got to the police late due to heavy rain and poor network experience during the attack.
He, however, said efforts were ongoing with a view to arresting the bandits.