No fewer than 16 suspected bandits and two vigilantes were reported killed in a clash in Bangalala area of Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State.
Bangalala is about 100km from Wase town, headquarters of the local government area.
Wase villages have been under severe attacks and control of bandits, kidnappers and cattle rustlers, forcing many people to flee their homes.
The incident occurred when the vigilantes took the fight to Bangalala village, which has been under the control of bandits for some months.
A resident of Wase, Ibrahim Musa, told The Nation yesterday that the vigilantes took the fight to the bandits following the killing of villagers.
He said the vigilantes felt compelled to confront the assailants who have turned the area into a killers’ den.
Shapi’i Sambo, a youth leader in Wase, also confirmed the incident, saying people had no option but to join forces with the security agencies to assist and salvage the affected communities, stressing it was high time the bandits were wiped out.
Spokesman of the Operation Safe Haven, Major Ishaku Takwa, said the command was yet to be briefed on the matter.
He told The Nation on phone: “We deployed our soldiers to the area and information at our disposal showed that no death of bandits or vigilantes were found on the ground. And since there is no evidence or fact, we cannot confirm anything.”