Troops have shot dead two suspected bandits while they were attempting to rustle cows and sheep at a Fulani settlement near Gidan-Makeri village in Kagarko LGA of Kaduna State.

A resident of Gidan-Makeri, Shehu Bala, said the incident happened on Sunday around 5pm when the bandits, wielding sophisticated weapons on motorcycles, attempted to attack the Fulani settlement.

He said, "The troops were on patrol in the Janjala-Gidan-Makeri axis when they came in contact with the bandits who had already perfected plans to invade a Fulani camp in order to rustle their cows and sheep. The troops engaged them in a gun duel and killed two of the bandits."

He further said that upon discovering that two of their members had been killed, the bandits escaped into the bush.

He added that, "In fact, even residents of neighbouring Janjala were terrified during the exchange of gunshots."

The spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command, SP Hassan Mansur, was yet to confirm the incident.