Nigerian soldiers in the 1st Army Brigade, 223rd Battalion, have thwarted another attack on Dansadau Town by suspected cattle rustlers and bandits.
The troops, who were on patrol, were given a tip-off by well-meaning individuals who had seen the bandits.
According to the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, the patrol team ambushed the suspected cattle rustlers and armed bandits, who were armed and in large numbers on motorcycles.
Mr. Usman disclosed that they were enroute to Ruwan Tofa and Babban Doka villages in the Dansadau District of Maru Local Government Council in Zamfara State. They were there to allegedly wreck havoc on the hapless innocent residents of those communities.
He added that the troops killed eighteen people and wounded several armed bandits. They also recovered 11 AK-47 rifles, one G3 rifle, one locally made pistol, 11 AK-47 magazines, a magazine for the G3 rifle, and 161 rounds of 7.62mm ammunitions.
"The troops went further and destroyed the bandits’ camp at Babban Doka general area.
They are also combing the area for the remnants of the bandits and all those that escaped with gunshot wounds in the general area. We would like to appeal to the public to continue to assist with information on cattle rustlers, armed bandits and other criminal elements in their areas."