Following an attack by armed individuals thought to be bandits, eight persons were slain in a terrible ambush in Kukawa village, Wase Local Government Area, Plateau State.  

A group of fighters who arrived on motorbikes and stated they were on a mission to kill bandits terrorizing the area are said to have been involved in the event, which happened at around 2:30 p.m. on Monday.  

Ismail Isa Kukawa, the village chief of Kukawa, claims that the attackers, who are recognized as belonging to a gang called “Hulabe” and number over 300, occupied the community while claiming to be defending it before causing mayhem shortly after.

“They said they came to fight bandits. But moments later, they began looting shops and shooting sporadically to scare villagers away, carting off goods and valuables,” Mallam Isa recounted.

Following the raid, the attackers reportedly withdrew into the surrounding jungle.  "They killed two traders who were going to the local market on their way out of the village," the village chief continued.  

Mallam Isa was shocked to learn that the squad, which had claimed to be fighting robbers, had actually been robbing stores and stealing merchandise worth millions of naira.

Source