A violent clash broke out on Monday between suspected bandits and members of the Miyetti Allah Vigilante group in Odare Forest, near Kukawa village in Dengi District, Kanam Local Government Area of Plateau State.
Security analyst, Zagazola Makama, disclosed the incident in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, stating that the firefight occurred around 4:30 p.m. on July 7 during a vigilante-led operation in the forest.
According to Makama, the vigilante team had entered the dense forest for a security mission but was ambushed by heavily armed bandits, triggering an intense exchange of gunfire.
“A joint security team responded to distress calls and moved swiftly into the area,” he said. “However, the operation has been hampered by thick vegetation and challenging terrain, making access to the site extremely difficult.”
Local sources confirmed that there were casualties on both sides, though the number of fatalities or injured persons had not been verified at the time of filing this report.
Military personnel and other security agencies have since launched a coordinated effort to secure the affected area and determine the full scale of the encounter.
Authorities have also issued an advisory to nearby communities, calling on residents to stay alert and report any suspicious movement as security efforts intensify to bring the situation under control.