Suspected bandits have killed a Major in the Nigerian Army and seven other security operatives in the Munya Local Government Area of Niger State.
The bandits were said to have ambushed the security operatives on Wednesday night in Igu village.
According to a resident, Inuwa Danladi, who spoke to our correspondent on phone, during the ambush, four military personnel, including an Army Major and four vigilante members lost their lives.
“The bandits ambushed the Joint Task Force as they were passing to Sarkin Powa and opened fire on them,” Danladi said.
He stated that the bandits and the security personnel had earlier in the day had a gun battle, adding that the bandits returned to attack them after the exchange.
“They ran into the ambush by the gunmen at Igu village which is about 10 kilometres from Sarkin Pawa, on their way back to the scene where they had earlier engaged the terrorists in a gun battle to recover the bodies of some of the local vigilantes who had gone missing.
“The bandits ambushed and overpowered the soldiers; only one soldier was able to escape.”
The resident said two patrol vehicles belonging to the Joint Task Force were discovered to have been vandalised by the bandits with the windscreens and tyres riddled with bullets.
When contacted, the Niger State Commissioner for Internal Security and Humanitarian Affairs, Emmanuel Umar, said he was aware, noting that there had been a series of attacks in the state. He said he would get the details of the latest incident and issue a statement later.
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