No fewer than 80 suspected bandits and at least four vigilante operatives were feared killed during a coordinated security operation in Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State.
PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the fierce clash, which lasted for five days, involved a joint force of local vigilantes and soldiers who launched an offensive on Saturday against a notorious bandits’ enclave in Dutsen Zaki forest — a dense terrain located around Zurak, Aduwa, Kinashe, and Odare villages in the Bashar district of the LGA.
According to local sources, the operation was one of the bloodiest yet in the area, which has long been a stronghold for armed groups responsible for recurring kidnappings and killings.
Abdullahi Hussaini, a leader of the vigilante group, told newsmen that over 300 local operatives mobilised for the mission, confronting the armed men in their hideout.
Hussaini said the operation was a direct response to the rising insecurity in the district.
“We started the fight since Saturday and it went on till Wednesday,” he said. “Over 80 bandits, including their wives, were neutralised.
Four of our men also died, and 16 others sustained varying degrees of injuries. They are now receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre in Wase and another facility in Bauchi.”
He explained that previous efforts to dislodge the bandits had failed due to the difficult terrain and the deep-rooted presence of the criminals in the forest.
However, he maintained that this latest effort had successfully reclaimed the area.
“The forest is now under our control. Many of the criminals have fled, and we will not stop until every last one of them is flushed out,” Hussaini vowed.
The renewed offensive comes just two weeks after a similar operation led to the killing of five suspected bandits in Kadil Masudu, another village in Wase.
Confirming the incident, a youth leader in Wase, Shapi’i Sambo, identified one of the vigilante casualties as a commander, whose replacement had already been appointed to sustain the momentum of the operation.
A resident of one of the affected communities, Abdullahi Bin Umar, said the heavy fighting forced many villagers to flee their homes for fear of reprisals.
“People are really scared,” he said. “With the number of bandits killed, no one knows what may happen next. Most communities around the forest are now deserted.”
When contacted, the spokesperson for Operation Safe Haven, Major Samson Zhakom, had yet to comment on the development as of the time of filing this report.
The Wase axis has experienced a surge in violent attacks in recent months, forcing hundreds of residents to flee amid a growing sense of insecurity.
Local leaders have repeatedly called for more proactive efforts to restore peace to the region.
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