Six leaders of different notorious banditry gang were killed by a mob in Birnin Magaji emir’s palace in Zamfara state on Wednesday.

The leaders of the bandits were said to have come to the palace for negotiation to take back a number of cattle they rustled at different times.

But they were attacked at their base by local vigilante groups of the area while the cows were brought to the metropolis by the vigilante members.

The mob action, according to a resident of the area who preferred anonymity, may not be unconnected with abduction of one of the residents.

It was learnt the bandits collected a ransom of N2.5m and refused to release the abducted resident.

It was also gathered the mob was tired of the devastating operations of the bandits, who reportedly killed four people recently with one burnt alive.

Assistant Director, Army information Force Headquarters Operation Sharar Daji Major Clement C. Abiade confirmed the killing of six bandits.

He disclosed that troops of operation Sharar Daji and exercise Harbin Kunama III were deployed to the area and security has been beefed up to curtail reprisal by the bandits.

Abiade revealed that an officer with Department of Statement State DSS sustained two gunshots wounds during the encounter.

•Text (excluding headline) courtesy of The Nation

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