Over 40 suspected bandits, including eight senior commanders, were killed after a combined team of local hunters, the Katsina State Community Watch Corps (KSCWC) and troops of the Nigerian Army’s 17 Brigade repelled a large-scale attack on Guga Village in Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State, on Sunday.

Security sources said the attack began at about 5:40pm on July 26, when more than 200 heavily armed bandits stormed the community in a coordinated reprisal assault.

The attackers were said to be led by bandit kingpin Idi Abasu Aiki and reinforced by fighters linked to the Ado Aleru criminal network operating from neighbouring Zamfara State.

According to reports posted by Zagazola Makama, intelligence indicated the gunmen had planned to overwhelm local hunters and KSCWC operatives guarding the area before extending the assault to Bakori town and surrounding communities.

Acting on prior intelligence, security operatives mounted a coordinated response that triggered a fierce gun battle, forcing the attackers to retreat after suffering heavy casualties.

The clash followed an earlier engagement on July 7 at Dawan Laila Village, where the same network reportedly suffered significant losses in a confrontation with local security volunteers.

Five members of the hunters’ team were killed during Sunday’s operation after being caught outside the frontline while attending to personal errands.

The Katsina State Government confirmed the incident, describing the slain hunters as courageous patriots who paid the ultimate price defending their communities, and extended condolences to their families.

Clearance operations have since begun in the affected area to recover weapons and equipment abandoned by the fleeing bandits, with surveillance intensified to forestall further attacks.

Authorities said normalcy has been restored to Guga and surrounding communities, reaffirming their commitment to sustained joint security operations across the state.

Relatedly, troops of the 17 Brigade Quick Reaction Force (QRF), working with the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), recovered 126 rustled livestock, comprising 83 cows and 43 sheep, after ambushing suspected terrorists driving the animals through Yankwani Village in Bakori LGA at about 6am on July 26. The suspects fled into the bush on sighting troops, abandoning the livestock, which were handed over to the Chairman of the Bakori Peace Keeping Committee, Alhaji Tijjani Mohammed, for identification and return to their owners. Military sources described the operation as successful and free of casualties.

Also, troops of the 17 Brigade, in collaboration with the KSCWC, rescued a kidnapped woman in Karkata Village, Charanchi Local Government Area, at about 11:22pm on Sunday, after a distress call reached troops at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Radda. The team engaged the abductors before reaching the village, forcing them to abandon the victim and flee. The woman was reunited with her family. No security personnel were killed, while bandit casualties from the encounter could not be immediately ascertained. (The Nation)