Three vigilante members were reported killed and another injured by bandits in an attack on Wednesday in the Ringim Local Government Area of Jigawa State.
Residents said the assailants invaded the Nasarawa area of Ringim town, targeting the leader of a vigilante group, Yusuf Wakili. Mr Wakili was himself a bandit now working with security agents to fight criminals in the state.
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On Wednesday, Mr Wakili, also known as Rago, mysteriously escaped the attack which occurred after the Ramadan iftar. However, three of his lieutenants – Shuaibu Gulo; Inusa Gaya and Manu Majiya — were killed, residents told PREMIUM TIMES.
A journalist, Elmansur Ibrahim, said the bandits attacked the office of Mr Wakili with guns, catching the occupants off guard and forcing residents to flee the area while the attack lasted.
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A former counsel to Mr Wakili told PREMIUM TIMES late Wednesday that the bandits targetted him for his role in the arrest and prosecution of several criminals in the state.
“Alhaji Rago is a vigilante who works closely with security agencies and provides credible intelligence sources, which has led to several arrests and successful prosecutions of high-profile criminals in the state.
“He is a brave man with a strong team and getting support from the Jigawa State Government.
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“Security agencies previously accused Mr Rago of involvement in criminal activities. He left his community for fear of persecution.
“However, with the intervention of community leaders, he returned home and joined hands with the security agencies, which led to several arrests and prevented several attacks in the state,” the lawyer said, asking not to be named for security reasons.
The police spokesperson in Jigawa, Lawan Adam, could not be reached immediately to comment on the incident.
