Eight Soldiers Killed By Bandit Terrorists In Kebbi State

At least, eight gallant soldiers of the Nigerian Army have reportedly paid a supreme price during a gun battle in Kebbi State with suspected bandit terrorists.

Naija News understands that the military officers were deployed to the Zuru district of the State, to battle and restrain bandits operating in the neighbouring communities from influx into Kebbi.

The deployment of the soldiers to the area came following the killing of over sixty vigilantes otherwise known as Yan-Sa-Kai by gunmen fleeing from Niger State.

The said Yan-Sa-Kai is a group of local men who have volunteered to themselves from various towns and villages to form informal vigilante units to protect themselves from bandit raids, Naija News understands.

A massive number of the volunteer local security men were, however, killed on Monday during a confrontation with a group of bandits.

Confirming the recent attack which reportedly claimed the lives of soldiers, a source from Sakaba Local Government Area of the state told SaharaReporters on Tuesday night that eight of the soldiers deployed to the emirate have been killed by gunmen.

The source said the bandits moved swiftly into the community after banning of local security outfits by the state government last year.

According to the source, the local security outfits have been checkmating the monsters until the state governor disarmed them last year.

The governor according to him accused the security outfit of engaging in unlawful killings but he did not provide an alternative.

“Immediately after banning our local security outfit, bandits then moved in and have been killing mercilessly since then,” Sahara Reporters quoted the source as saying.

He added: “Some hours ago, some soldiers were deployed but unfortunately, the bandits have just killed eight of the soldiers. So sad, we are no longer safe.”

Recalling the disturbing killing of the volunteer vigilantes, another source told newsmen that the deceased persons were ambushed and killed by the terrorists after being fed wrong information regarding the location of the bandits.

The source said: “Yesterday, after killing many people and rustling cows, the youths from Dabai, Magajiya, Ribah, Diri and Danrnagi villages confronted the bandits with their locally made guns.

“They killed many of the Bandits; along the line, someone called them and gave them wrong information about the location of the bandits, so that was how they fell into the ambush of the bandits.

“The location is Sakaba Local Government Area, Zuru Emirate, Kebbi state. It’s a border town between Kebbi South and Niger. The town has produced many Generals.

“Right now, they are still operating in Zuru villages. The soldiers and the police are more afraid than the civilians.”