Local News
Troops Kill 45 Bandits in Niger State Gun Battle Backed by DSS Intelligence
At least 45 bandits have been killed in a coordinated offensive by Nigerian Army troops and hybrid forces, with intelligence support from the Department of State Services (DSS), in Iburu village, Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.
Security sources said the operation, which took place on Friday evening, was launched following intelligence intercepted by the DSS indicating that heavily armed terrorists riding dozens of motorcycles were mobilizing to attack Iburu and nearby communities.
Acting swiftly on the tip-off, troops engaged the advancing terrorists in a fierce gunfight, resulting in the death of no fewer than 45 bandits. Villagers reportedly counted at least 40 bodies at the scene, in addition to dozens of motorcycles destroyed during the clash.
The operation, however, came at a cost. Two members of the hybrid forces were killed in the battle, while four others sustained gunshot wounds and are currently receiving treatment at a public hospital in the state capital.
The renewed onslaught comes amid growing concerns about terrorist activities in the region. In April, the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adeniyi, had raised alarm over increasing terrorist movement around the Babanna border in Niger State. He revealed that Customs officers narrowly escaped an ambush by armed groups angered by the seizure of 500 jerrycans of petrol allegedly being smuggled to them.
The successful raid in Iburu is the latest in ongoing military efforts to stamp out banditry and restore security in northern Nigeria.
