Zamfara State: Residents Kill Seven Bandits In Birnin Magaji Emir’s Palace

Residents Round-Up Bandits In Their Emirs Palace

Residents of Birnin Magaji Local Government Area of Zamfara State, have lynched seven bandits who came to meet with their Emir as their Cows were confiscated following an airstrike on their base in Birnin Magaji forest.

The armed bandits were said to be rounded up and lynched by residents as soon as they came out of the emir’s palace.

The Nigerian Air Force has been conducting air strikes in Zamfara against the bandits whose activities have caused the deaths of hundreds of people in the past few years.

Many of the bandits have been displaced by the air strikes. Some of them reportedly returned to neighbouring communities still bearing their arms causing fear among residents.

Some residents told Premium Times that after an airstrike on Birnin Magaji forest on April 4, many residents of nearby communities accompanied the soldiers into the forest where they found over 200 rustled cows.

The cows were impounded and kept at the emir’s palace in Birnin Magaji. However, early last week, the cattle were taken to Gusau, the state capital.

On Wednesday, about seven suspected bandits and a person suspected to be an official of the State Security Service (SSS) came to the emir’s palace. They were there to reportedly plead for the release of their cattle, residents said, asking not to be named for security reasons.

The Emir of Birnin Magaji, Husseini Dan-Ali, was, however, said to be in Kaduna on Wednesday when they came. His secretary, Muhammadu Mai-inji, hosted the suspected bandits and SSS official inside the palace.

After residents learned about the meeting, they hurriedly enclosed the palace and attempted to set it ablaze. Soldiers guarding the palace, however, pleaded with them.

The residents waited outside until the bandits came out. They lynched them. They also vandalized an SSS vehicle. The suspected SSS official was, however, rescued by soldiers, although he sustained severe injuries.

The police in Zamfara are yet to speak on the incident. The police spokesperson, Mohammed Shehu, did not pick or return calls to his phone on Wednesday evening, Premium Times reports

Naija News understands that the federal government has earlier this year, deployed soldiers, police officers, and other security personnel to check the activities of the bandits.

However, the Emir of Bungudu Village in Zamfara state, Alhaji Hassan Attahiru, yesterday said killings by bandits are not abating despite the military operations against the criminals.

He added that on Monday this week, bandits recently stormed his domain in broad daylight and killed 15 people.