Bandits attack Taraba LG, kill 15 hunters providing security to residents
Heavily armed bandits have attacked Bali Local Government Area of Taraba State and killed 15 hunters providing security to the community.
According to reports, 15 hunters were killed during a confrontation with the bandits in a mountainous area near Maihula town on Tuesday.
The bandits, numbering over 200, sought to attack Bali town, the headquarters of Bali Local Government, and surrounding villages but were met with resistance by the brave hunters.
Unfortunately, the bandits’ possession of more sophisticated weapons led to the deaths of 15 hunters.
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An eyewitness identified as Musa Umar, who narrated the unfortunate incident said 14 hunters were killed at the scene of the fight, with multiple others sustaining injuries.
Tragically, one hunter succumbed to his wounds on the way to Jalingo Hospital, bringing the total to 15 lives lost.
Adamu Dantala, the Taraba State Chairman of the Hunters Association, affirmed that 15 of their members were killed during the encounter with the bandits. He also revealed that the bandits ambushed hunters near Dakka town in Bali Local Government Area, resulting in the deaths of three more hunters.
Expressing a desperate need for support, Dantala emphasised the importance of government and community assistance in fully arming the hunters. He mentioned the lack of financial aid to support the families of the deceased or to treat the injured hunters.
Alhaji Mahamud Abubakar, the leader of the Kur Bali Chiefdom, where 15 hunters lost their lives, described how the bandits invaded his chiefdom and attempted to breach Bali town, only to be repelled by the vigilant hunters.
The Police spokesman, SP Usman Abdullah, has been unreachable for comments about the incident.