No fewer than nine vigilantes, otherwise known locally as Askarawa, lost their lives in Zamfara State when they were attacked by bandits in Anka Local Government Area on Saturday.
The vigilantes, according to a security analyst, Zagazola Makama, had earlier been involved in a successful joint operation with the security agencies, engaging heavily armed bandits in a forest battle and recording a huge win.
But while returning from the operation, they were ambushed by a band of bandits, and a number of casualties were reported from among them.
The killed vigilantes belonged to the Community Protection Guards, a security outfit established by Governor Dauda Lawal to support the fight against banditry as well as supplement the efforts of other security agencies in Zamfara State.
