5 bandits, 4 kidnap victims killed in Niger

No fewer than four bandits met their waterloo in the hands of vigilante in Lapai Local Government Area of Niger State after hours of gun dwell on Sunday.

Four other bandits were injured and arrested during the exchange with the vigilante.

Three women, however, escaped and were rescued by the vigilante. The women were completely naked when they were rescued.

The vigilante recorded the breakthrough at Gulu village in Lapai Local Government Area of the state after weeks of terrorising by the bandits.

A source close to the community told Daily Sun that luck ran out of the bandits when they were waiting to collect ransom from relations of some victims in their captives.

The victims’ relations, it was gathered, had taken the ransom to the bandits but midway to their journey, they were ordered back to go and get some food items for them.

However, on their way back, it was gathered the villagers ran into the vigilance group who were on patrol of the area and after interrogation, they told the vigilante that they were taking ransom to the bandits.

The vigilante immediately swung into action and headed to the location of the bandits which resulted in a serious gun dwell that lasted hours.

When the gun battle subsided, five of the bandits were killed, four others sustained a gun injury and were said to have been arrested.

Four male victims under their custody however lost their lives during the gun battle.

No statement yet on the development from the state police command and attempts to get confirmation from the command Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun, failed as his mobile phone could not be reached.