At least nine soldiers and one policeman were killed on Tuesday night when Lakurawa terrorists attacked them in an ambush at Giro Masa in Shanga Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
The security personnel were said to be following the terrorists to a construction company yard after residents gave them information. However, they were ambushed on the way.
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During the attack, the terrorists also set two military trucks on fire.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the attack was frightening and that the community is still in shock over the killing of the soldiers.
The military has not yet released an official statement on the incident. However, Governor Nasir Idris confirmed the attack when he visited the mortuary and the Accident and Emergency Unit of the Federal Teaching Hospital in Birnin Kebbi, where the victims were taken.
Speaking to journalists after the visit, Governor Idris described the attack as barbaric. He also promised that the state government would pay the medical bills of the injured and support the families of the dead security personnel.
He said, “This is a sad incident. These are the soldiers who are protecting the lives of Kebbi residents, yet they found themselves in this situation. The Kebbi State Government will not relent in its efforts to protect the lives of its citizens.”
Another resident told our correspondent that the Lakurawa group has been attacking communities in the area for some time.
He said, “It was because of this that the soldiers were deployed to the area but unfortunately they were ambushed by the Lakurawa.”
A different resident added, “We alerted the soldiers about the Lakurawa moving towards a construction company yard. We never expected that the soldiers would be ambushed. It was a terrible situation on Tuesday night and it resulted in the deaths of an undisclosed number of soldiers.”