Armed bandits on Sunday morning laid an ambush on a team of local hunters who patrol the forest that links Duguri, Mansur, and Dajin Mada communities in Alkaleri local government area of Bauchi State, leaving several casualties behind.

Residents of the areas claim that more than 10 corpses were buried, which included hunters and civilians who were trying to escape the attack.

The police, in a statement, on Monday, said that the incident caused “numerous casualties” but did not specify the number of deaths.

Mansur, Duguri, and other communities in the axis have been attacked several times in the past by armed bandits, and Governor Bala Mohammed visited the area more than two times to console them.

Mansur, Gwana, Duguri, and others share borders with the Plateau, Gombe, and Taraba states.

In a condolence message, Mohammed described the attack as “a heinous and senseless act of violence a painful” reminder of the continued threat posed by criminal elements who seek to disrupt the peace and security of the communities.

The Governor condoled the bereaved families, the people of Alkaleri Local Government, and indeed the entire Bauchi State.

“He prays for the repose of the souls of the fallen heroes who paid the ultimate price in the line of duty to protect their communities,” Mohammed’s media aide, Mukhtar Gidado, said in the statement.

Also, the Police said that it has deployed a team of operational tactical teams to the scene, where they recovered the bodies of the casualties.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the deceased included both quasi-security operatives and civilians from Sabuwar Sara village, who were mercilessly shot by the bandits while attempting to flee from the attack.

The Commissioner of Police was at the scene of the crime and deployed tactical teams, where he conducted an on-the-spot assessment in Alkaleri and engaged stakeholders to be calm and vigilant while supporting the police.

“He has strongly condemned the recent killings, expressing deep sorrow over the tragic loss of lives. The Commissioner characterised these acts as utterly reprehensible and a significant threat to the peace and security of the state and assured them of full-scale investigation to bring the perpetrators to book,” Ahmed Wakil, Police Spokesman in Bauchi said. (The Guardian)