Gunmen believed to be bandits have ambushed troops of the Nigerian Army on patrol in Gudu Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The attack claims four lives of the Nigerian soldiers while also leaving two others injured.
Yahya Gudu, the representative of Gudu in the Sokoto State House of Assembly confirmed the incident in a statement on Sunday.
He disclosed that the assailants set two patrol vehicles ablaze following the ambush on the Kukurau-Bangi road.
“Yes, it is true. Some gunmen ambushed soldiers on patrol along the Kukurau-Bangi road on Saturday, killing four of them and injuring two others. The attackers also destroyed their patrol vehicles by setting them on fire,” Gudu stated.
A local resident who spoke anonymously with DAILY TRUST revealed that the bandits, who were heavily armed, passed through the area on 20 motorcycles, each carrying two riders.
According to the resident, the bandits did not harm or abduct anyone in the community, but gunshots were heard shortly after they passed.
“We later found out that they had ambushed the soldiers patrolling the area, killing four. Their bodies were retrieved by their comrades,” the resident added.
This same community had recently experienced violence when bandits, in pursuit of vigilantes, killed seven people. The resident mentioned that despite informing security forces about the presence of the bandits, no significant action was taken, possibly due to the sophisticated weaponry the criminals possess.
The Public Relations Officer of the 8 Division of the Nigerian Army, Lieutenant Colonel Ikechukwu Eze has not commented on the incident.
