'I hide behind tree to escape di bandits wen my bullet finish'

BBC News

30-07-2025

Gunmen wey pipo believe say na bandits, ambush one team of soldiers and vigilante on Tuesday near Dogon Ruwa community for Bashar District inside Wase local govment area of Plateau State.
Di attack kill two soldiers and two vigilantes.
Some bandits also die for di incident.
Pipo wey dey live for di area dey live in fear, say anoda attack fit hapun again.
One source from di village tok say di attack happun for di early hours of Tuesday morning, as di security team dey follow up tori wey dem hear say pipo sight gunmen for di area.
One of di vigilantes wey survive di ambush, Dauda Sallamu, don narrate to BBC News Pidgin how di mata hapun.
E say di incident hapun around 10:00am on Tuesday.
Sallamu tok say di bandits wey do di ambush na around 21 in number, while dem wey be security team no pass 11.
"We receive report for our camp say dem don see bandits for di area dat morning" Sallamu tok.
"From our camp, we quickly mobilise seven vigilantes wit four soldiers go wia dem see di bandits.
But we no know say di attackers don hide and lay ambush for us. Dem open fire, kill two soldiers and two of our vigilantes" im tok.
E also tok say dem burn three of dia motorcycles and carry di uniforms of di soldiers wey dem kill.
"Afta dem kill di two soldiers, dem remove dia uniforms and burn our three motorcycles. I even escape by luck afta I hide behind one tree wen my bullets finish." Sallamu yan.
But e add say dem later return wit reinforcement to carry dia colleagues bodies and dem realise say dem kill six of di bandits during di encounter.
"Wen we come back wit support, we see bodies of six of di bandits. But dem don spoil dia faces make pipo no fit recognize dem."
One traditional leader from di area, Abdullahi Yakubu, also confirm to BBC News Pidgin say di ambush really happun for di area. E also tok say pipo for di community dey live in fear and tension.
"We hear say bandits dey plan attack Dogon Ruwa, so soldiers and vigilantes quickly mobilise.
But dem no know say di bandits don lay ambush, dem open fire and kill two soldiers and two vigilantes" Yakubu tok.
Di traditional leader also tok say di attack don cause fear and tension for di area.
"As we dey tok now, di attack don cause serious fear for here. But dem don bring more soldiers come and tins dey try return to normal."
E still beg govment make dem do more to bring lasting peace to di area.
As of di time of writing dis report, spokesperson of Operation Safe Haven, Major Samson Zhakom, never reply to SMS wey our tori pesin send to am about di mata.
Communities for Wase and oda local govment areas for Plateau State don dey suffer attacks from bandits, wey don lead to killings and destruction of property.