Bandits Attack Joint Base, kill military personnel in Sokoto

Posted by admin Air Force, Armed Forces, Army, Headlines, Navy, Sokoto, State News, Uncategorized Monday, September 27th, 2021

By Onuminya Innocent

Residents yesterday said gunmen suspected to be armed bandits attacked a joint military base codenamed “Burkusuma camp’ located in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State and killed unspecified number of military personnel.

Villagers and security sources told THISDAY that the attack took place in the early hours of Friday.

It was gathered that the bandits came in large numbers and started shooting at the camp from every angle.

But a military source, who is not authorised to speak on the matter, said a large number of suspected bandits were killed when a military base was attacked in the Eastern Senatorial District of Sokoto.

The source did not confirm if the said military camp is the same with the Burkusuma camp in Sabo Birni Local Government.

But a former Chairman of Sabon Birni, Idris Muhammad Gobir, also known as Danchadi confirmed to newsmen that the Burkusuma camp was attacked and that several security operatives in the camp were still missing.

He said the marauding bandits also burnt down two patrol vehicles and went away with another one, which was used to convey food items stolen from the villagers.

The former chairman said the report of the attack was confirmed to them by a resident of Burkusuma who is using mobile telecommunication service from Niger Republic.

Also, a prominent traditional ruler in the area confirmed that some vehicles were sent to evacuate corpses of the killed soldiers.

He said over 10 trucks conveying armed military personnel were in the forest trailing the bandits.

A personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, who sought anonymity, confirmed to our reporter that three of their corps members were among the casualties.

It was learnt that the bandits also attacked Katsira village and shot four persons.

Two of the victims were said to have died instantly while the remaining two were receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.

The bandits were also said to have abducted another three persons from the village.

The spokesman of the 8 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major Yahaya Ngulde could not be reached for comment as at the time of filing this report.

Similarly, the Police Public Relation Officer, ASP Sanusi Abubakar, said he was not aware of the attack.

But the Commissioner for Careers and Security Matters, Colonel Garba Moyi (rtd) confirmed the attack on the military base but said he was not sure of the number of casualties.

-ThisDaywp_posts