Another set of Nigerian troops have been killed while fighting with bandits in Karaga and Rumace communities in Bassa ward, Shiroro local government area of Niger State.
A captain was also said to have been abducted during the incident.
According local eyewitness two farmers were also reported to have been killed while houses, food banks, and motorcycles were burnt by the attackers. The attack started around 9 pm on Friday and lasted for hours.
One of the sources, who didn’t want his name mentioned, said, “Six soldiers lost their lives and one volunteer hunter.”
Another source, Mustapha Bassa, said bandits in their numbers rode on motorcycles with each motorcycle carrying three people, and they shot sporadically as they moved into the communities. He stated that motorcycles, houses, and food banks were set ablaze during the attack.
Earlier this month, terrorists suspected to be from the Boko Haram sect killed at least five military personnel in an ambush. The incident happened along the Biu-Buratai-Buni Yadi road, a path that has remained a death trap, as it has witnessed a series of deadly attacks in recent times. Among those killed were a lieutenant officer, a driver, a gunner, and four other soldiers.
It was gathered that the soldiers had left their camps at Allawa and Erena to respond to a distress call when the armed bandits ambushed them at Roro village.
The bandits were also said to have killed a hunter and two farmers as well as burnt houses, food banks and motorcycles.
On March 14, at least 17 senior military officers, including 13 soldiers, two majors and one captain, from the 181 Amphibious Battalion, who were deployed on a peace-keeping mission to quell community clashes, were killed by suspected residents of Okuama community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.
Residents, who spoke to our correspondent yesterday about the latest killing of soldiers, said that the incident happened around 9pm on Friday and lasted for hours.
“Six soldiers lost their lives and one volunteer hunter,” one of the residents said.
Another source, Mustapha Bassa, said the bandits, who rode on motorcycles, were shooting sporadically as they moved to the communities.
The Military High Command was silent on the incident when contacted by one of our correspondents last night.
The Director of the Defence Media Operations, Major-General Edward Buba, neither answered several calls to his mobile telephone line nor replied to a WhatsApp message sent to him.
But Niger State’s Commissioner for Homeland Security, Brigadier-General Bello Abdullahi Mohammed, in a reply to a text message by our correspondent yesterday, confirmed the incident.
He said “all hands were on deck” to bring the perpetrators to book.
“All hands are on deck to bring the perpetrators to face the law. Government, on her own, is doing everything possible to end the insecurity issues.
“Additionally, the government will stand by the bereaved and share their grief as well as support them, now and in the long term,” the commissioner said.
The Public Relations Officer of the state police command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, could not be reached for comment as of the time of filing this report.