Niger Shootout: Army says 11 soldiers dead

The Nigerian Army confirmed that 11 military personnel died in the gun battle with armed bandits at Kopa, Dagma and Gagaw villages of Bosso Local Government Area of Niger State.

The Army stated this in a statement by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, adding that the dead military personnel comprised nine soldiers and two Airmen who were attached to the 31 Artillery Brigade and the Nigerian Air Force detachment on International Security, Operation MESA.

He further stated that two other soldiers sustained serious injuries while one was missing.

According to the statement, the soldiers were on a cordon and search operation to recover suspected cache of weapons and arrest armed bandits when they were attacked while still trying to deploy for the operation.

He also added that the bandits burnt down four operational vehicles, vandalized two others and went away with four AK-47 rifles, and a Fabrique Nationale rifle belonging to the deceased soldiers.

The troops however killed eight of the attackers, arrested 57 of them and recovered large quantity of arms and ammunition from them.

Arms recovered from the bandits included “three AK-47 rifles,10 Local AK-47 rifles, nine locally-made pistols, six revolver guns, which fires 7.62mm (Special ammunition), 45 Loaded Dane guns, 10 Clubs and Cudgels, 41 Arrows, 18 Bow cases, 122 Cutlasses and Machetes as well as 20 Daggers.”

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Others are ’31 Axes, 63 rounds of 7.62 (Special) Ammunition, 10 Bajaj Motorcycles, Assorted Charms and Amulets, two Vehicles, 38 mobile telephone handsets, a wristwatch, five identity cards, passport photographs, cash sum of N23,870.00k, five Japanese Yen and 35 different denominations of old Nigerian currency, 15 Catapults, eight torchlights, two Gun Powder bottles, 4 four empty cases of ammunition and 41 Cartridges.’

The Army spokesman disclosed that the military undertook the operation in response to covert surveillance and intelligence report on the activities of the gunrunners in the area, vowing that all those involved in the dastardly act would be apprehended and brought to justice.

“It is important to stress that the nefarious activities of the gun runners and the armed bandits has direct bearing with the influx of weapons and general insecurity in some parts of the Federal Capital Territory and the North West geo-political zone of the country.

“The same gun runners have been confirmed to be the suppliers of arms to armed robbery gangs that were involved in series of armed robbery attacks along Minna-Bida road and the general environment.

“Although the situation is under control, the military will not rest on its oars until all those involved are arrested and brought to justice. The military will continue to deal with any violent threat to our national security,” he added

By Timothy Enietan-Matthews

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