At least 19 people were killed in a suspected bandit attack and livestock theft in Bauchi state, northeast Nigeria, authorities and locals reported on Monday.
The Bauchi police said the attack occurred early Sunday morning when a local security patrol in Gwana district was ambushed. Civilians attempting to flee the area were also killed in the assault.
“A team of operational tactical units was sent to the scene, where they recovered the bodies of the victims,” said Bauchi police commissioner Sani-Omolori Aliyu.
The attackers, part of heavily armed gangs known as bandits, engaged in a gun battle with local security forces, resulting in additional casualties among the vigilantes and residents, according to eyewitness Ibrahim Hussaini.
The assailants also made off with a significant number of cattle and sheep after overpowering the local security team, said Mohammed Umar, a vigilante from the Alkaleri area, which includes Gwana.
Bandit attacks have become a recurring problem in northwest Nigeria, where these groups have been responsible for widespread violence, kidnapping, and theft, making daily life in affected areas increasingly perilous.
