Vigilantes stormed a bandits’ den and engaged them in a duel, rescuing 17 abducted victims, including three children, in Zago Forest Reserve in Niger State.

City & Crime reports that Zago community shares border with Adagba community in Abaji Area Council of the FCT.

A vigilante, who was part of the operation but preferred anonymity, confirmed the rescue to our reporter at the palace of the Etsu Yaba in Abaji, His Royal Highness (HRH), Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu, on Thursday, where the rescued victims were taken to.

He said, “We mobilised ourselves and stormed the forest, and upon sighting us they started shooting but we continued to advance towards them. So they started running. We saw 17 people tied up. We untied them, recovered rifles and brought the back to the Etsu Yaba.”

Commenting, the Etsu Yaba, Alhaji Abdullahi, who commended the vigilantes, said the dislodgement of the bandits would bring a big relief to people of his chiefdom that had been terrorised by the bandits, adding that his people would now go their farms without much fear.

The spokesperson of the FCT Police Command, DSP Adeh Josephine, was yet to reply to a text message sent to her to confirm the rescue.

Daily Trust recalls that bandits on motorcycles in their large numbers last month invaded Adagba community, killed a villager and abducted eight others, a situation which forced the villagers to flee their homes. (Daily Trust)

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