A Major of the Nigerian Army and seven other security operatives have been killed by bandits in Munya Local Government Area of Niger State.
The security operatives were reportedly ambushed in Igu village. A resident of Igu, Inuwa Danladi, who confirmed the attack, told Punch that four military personnel, including an army major and four vigilante members lost their lives.
Danladi said the ambush occurred after a gun battle between security operatives and the bandits. He said the bandits who were in the bush burying casualties from their earlier exchange with the security operatives, noticed that the personnel were going to recover bodies of vigilantes and then struck.
“The bandits ambushed the joint task force as they were passing to Sarkin Pawa and opened fire on them. They ran into the ambush by the gunmen at Igu village which is 10 kilometers 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 that were missing.
“The bandits were in the bush trying to bury their dead and they ambushed and overpowered the soldiers who were going to recover the bodies of the vigilantes and only one soldier among them escaped.”
Danladi added that two patrol vehicles belonging to the Joint Security Taskforce were vandalized by the gunmen with the windscreens and tires ridden with bullets during the attack.