Two Soldiers, Vigilante Killed as Bandits Attack JTF Base in Bauchi; Police Kill Seven in Gun Battle

Two soldiers attached to the 33 Artillery Brigade and a vigilante have been killed following an attack by bandits on a Joint Task Force (JTF) base in Gwana District of Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

The assailants also abducted three members of the community during the incident.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the Bauchi State Police Command, Nafiu Habib, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday. He said the attack occurred on Sunday, February 22, 2026, at about 4:32 p.m.

According to Habib, operatives of the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit (AKU) responded swiftly and engaged the bandits in a fierce gun battle. During the exchange, seven of the attackers were neutralised.

He confirmed that despite the security response, two soldiers from the 33 Artillery Brigade and a member of the local vigilante group lost their lives in the confrontation. The bandits also succeeded in kidnapping three residents of the community before fleeing the scene.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Sani-Omolori Aliyu, has since directed the immediate deployment of additional security personnel to the affected area to restore order, protect displaced civilians and prevent further attacks.

Habib added that monitoring and intelligence-gathering efforts are ongoing to track down and arrest the fleeing suspects, as well as to secure the safe rescue of the abducted victims.