Bandits have killed 17 people in Rimi village within the Yankari Game Reserve forest in Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
Thousands of people including women, children and the aged have equally begun to flee their homes following deadly attacks by armed bandits in many villages in the LGA.
Abdullahi said the troops stationed in Duguri village were mobilised to the forest after the Rimi attack, adding that they had successfully tracked down the bandits and killed many of them on Saturday.
Investigation reveals that the prevalence of mining activities in many villages, which attracted mining companies into Alkaleri was instrumental to the increase in the number of bandits coupled with a large and saturated thick forest of Yankari Game Reserve, which now has become a safe haven for these people terrorising residents of the villages, making brisk business from ransom collection.
In a telephone interview, the Chairman Alkaleri branch of the National Youth Council, Comrade Bala Mohammed Duguri, however, said the bandits stormed Rimi village on board over 300 motorcycles armed to the teeth and opened fire sporadically on the residents killing 14 people.
