Gunmen suspected to be Lakurawa terrorists attacked Morai village in the Augie Local Government Area of Kebbi State, killing at least 13 vigilante members.
A local source, identified as Alhaji Augie, told Channels Television that the vigilantes had taken cover in nearby shrubs after receiving intelligence about an impending attack. According to him, the attackers arrived and attempted to rustle a herd of cattle.
The vigilantes then launched an ambush in an attempt to recover the cattle and repel the attackers.
“Unfortunately, they were unaware that the terrorists had already surrounded them,” he said about the Sunday incident.
“As soon as the vigilantes moved to intercept, the attackers opened fire, killing at least 13 of them on the spot. The village where the attack occurred is just about three kilometers from ours.”
So far, six bodies have been recovered and given Islamic funeral rites, while the search for the remaining corpses is still ongoing.
Efforts to obtain a response from the Kebbi State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the spokesperson, Nafiu Abubakar, did not respond to phone calls or text messages sent to his line as of the time of filing this report.
