Bandits in the early hours of Thursday invaded a military base in Allawa, Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State and killed five soldiers and an operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
The entire military camp was razed by the bandits who invaded the base at about 2am when soldiers had just returned from patrol.
They stormed Allawa village riding on motorcycles and brandishing AK 47 rifles.
After the invasion of the military base, the bandits reportedly moved to the communities, where they killed seven people and abducted a number of villagers.
They were also said to have abducted over 10 persons, stole seven motorcycles and burnt military vehicles among others in the attacks that led the villagers scampering for safety.
The communities attacked included Allawa, Manta, Gurmana, Bassa and Kokki in Shiroro council.
The bandits later stormed a camp of the Joint Security Task Force comprising the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and vigilantes at Alawa and opened fire on them, killing five soldiers and one civil defence officer, while many sustained various degree of injuries.
A popular businessman in Bassa village, whose name was given as Alhaji Sule, was also killed in his farm by the armed men who made away with several motorcycles belonging to the villagers.
Meanwhile, the army has recovered bodies of five fallen troops.
It was gathered the bandits only targeted the Joint Security Task Force base as the entire Allawa town was said to have been peaceful with people going about with their normal business.
The presence of the security agents, according to a source, has remained a big obstacle to the bandits within Allawa and other villages, adding: “The attack was aimed at ensuring the security agents leave the town.”
Reports confirmed that the military, police, civil defence and the vigilance group in the Joint Security Task Force camp have all left the town and the camp shut down.
A native of Allawa told Daily Sun: “Now that the security agents have left the town, we are now left at the mercy of the bandits.
“The security agents have actually frustrated the activities of the bandits in the area.”
Co-convener of Concerned Shiroro Youth, Abubakar Yussuf Koki, who spoke to Daily Sun on telephone, said the entire Shiroro Local Government has become a war zone with bandits ransacking homes, killing and maiming innocent villagers.
“Their intention is to rid the area of security presence so that they will always have a field day. We have been left on our own nobody is coming to our assistance,” Koki said.
The Secretary to the State Government, Ahmed Ibrahim Matane, confirmed the incident.
Matane said security agents, including the Commissioner of Police and Nigerian Army Brigade Commander, have been despatched to the area to verify and validate what happened.
Daily Sun.
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