Not less than 15 armed bandits were killed in a gun battle with troops on Saturday, June 19, in Anguwan Mallam in Kontagora, Niger State.
According to reports, a military officer was also killed in the gun duel.
Eyewitness in the area stated that the incident happened on Saturday, June 19, around 4 pm when the bandits were sighted by troops on patrol at Anguwan Mallam, near Kontagora town.
A resident said the troops engaged the bandits in a firefight, leading to the death of a number of bandits and a soldier.
The sources added that the bandits numbering over 70 were in the area, but the presence of the military saved the community from being an attack on Saturday evening.
“The presence of the military was what saved our community from the bandits. They came in their number on motorcycles and the people became scared because we don’t have what it takes to face them.
“But many were killed, we discovered dead bodies even today in the morning in the bush. We found their sleeping kits and some other valuable materials and others belonging to them,” he said.
The bandits were said to have escaped through the bushes as soldiers overpowered them. The police are yet to react to the incident.
Recall that President Buhari had during his visit charged frontline troops in Maiduguri to put in more efforts in the fight against insecurity.
According to the president, there’s still a lot of work to be done in defeating insurgents in the troubled northeast region of the country.
The president made the comment while addressing troops of the Joint Task Force at Maimalari Cantonment parade ground in Maiduguri The unit has neutralised and chased countless insurgents from the north to other parts of the country, a fact recently confirmed by the president himself.
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