A Nigerian Army Major and three soldiers have been killed by Gunmen in an ambush attack at Igu village along Sarkin Pawa-Kaduna road in Munya Local Government Area of Niger State on Wednesday evening

Also killed by the gunmen during the encounter are four members of the local vigilantes who were in a joint patrol with the soldiers.

The killing of the soldiers came barely few hours after they (soldiers) successfully neutralized scores of the gunmen during a gun battle, leaving also one soldier and two members of the local vigilantes killed.

According to source close to the community, the soldiers were said to have ran into the ambush by the gunmen at Igu village, about 10 kilometers from Sarkin Pawa, headquarters of Munya local government.

It was gathered that the soldiers were on their way back to the scene of the earlier gun battle to recover the bodies of some local vigilantes that were missing, unknowing to them that the gunmen were still in the bush trying to bury their dead and evacuate the injured.

It was further gathered that the gunmen who were over 70 in number, over powered the few soldiers who were on return journey back to the scene. Only one soldier managed to escape from the attack.

Our source further disclosed that a pilot of a fighter jet that came to provide air support for the ground troops was said to have told the late Major whom he was communicating with on the ground that he could not see the gunmen who were said to be moving in their large number with about 150 cattle and over 60 kidnapped victims, but that he could only see the soldiers.

Our said it was at this point that the Major was said to have told him (Pilot) to go back to avoid any casualty on their side, leaving the soldiers to face the over 70 gunmen.

It could be recalled that in January 2020, an Army Captain and four Soldiers, were killed in a similar ambush attack at the same Igu village, along Sarkin Pawa- Kaduna road when they had to gone answer a distress call from the people.

Meanwhile all attempts to get the state Commissioner for Internal Security and Humanitarian Affairs was not successful as his mobile phone could not go through as at the time of filing this report. (Daily Sun)

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