Four Nigerian soldiers were killed and two others wounded in a brazen ambush by bandits in the northwestern state of Sokoto. The attackers also torched two military patrol vehicles during the Saturday assault, according to local officials.
The deadly attack occurred in Gudu County (Local Government Area), a town plagued by escalating violence from criminal gangs. A member of the Sokoto State House of Assembly, Yahya Gudu, confirmed the incident, describing it as a heart-breaking loss.
A resident who spoke to Daily Trust described seeing a convoy of 20 motorcycles, each carrying two armed bandits, pass through their community shortly before the attack. “They didn’t touch or kidnap anybody in our community,” the resident said. “They just passed and the next thing we heard were sounds of gunshots.”
The resident added that the community has been under siege from the bandits. “About a week ago, the bandits while pursuing vigilantes, killed seven persons in our community. They are still in that bush,” the resident said. “There is a stream where they meet and discuss every day. We used to tell security operatives about their presence, but they have not been responsive. Maybe because the bandits are using more sophisticated weapons.”
Reinforcements have been dispatched to the area as authorities grapple with the growing threat posed by bandits, who have become increasingly bold in their attacks on security forces and civilians alike.
—Ezinwanne Onwuka reports for TruthNigeria from Abuja.
