Five persons were reportedly killed yesterday, while two others were injured in a clash between the military and civilians at Kpaidna village in Bosso Local Government Area of Niger State.

The incident, it was learnt occurred at night around 1am during a military operation by officers and men of 31 Artillery Brigade, which the villagers mistook for invasion of Fulani herdsmen dressed in army uniforms.

Our correspondent learnt that four military operational vehicles were damaged out of which two were burnt by the villagers.

The village was last month attacked by herdsmen during which several villagers were killed and many others displaced.

This, it was learnt, might have prompted the villagers to act in defending themselves since the last Fulani attack took the same style.

When contacted, the Army Public Relations Officer of 31 Artillery Brigade Minna, Major Njideka Agwu, confirmed the incident, explaining that the military was on cordon-and-search operation in the village for accumulated arms before the villagers opened fire on the soldiers.

She said the casualty was not yet known until officers that went on investigative mission to the village were back to the barracks.

“Lots of arms are in that local village so we went on cordon-and-search operation. Troops were briefed at about 4pm on the type of operation before they left. It is a kind of operation we do all the time to secure the area. Unfortunately, the villagers open fire on them,” she said.

She said the troops and field commanders were still at area of operation adding that information reaching her office was still scanting and that more information would be made public in due course.

Also speaking to journalists, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Bala Elkana, said the police rescued two injured soldiers and rushed them to hospital in Minna.

He said: “Actually we received a distressed call at around 1am that armed Fulani herdsmen have invaded their village. The Command immediately mobilised mobile policemen and other combatants to the village and Police discovered it was soldiers in operation.”

While at the brigade headquarters in Minna, our correspondent learnt that senior officers had mobilised to the village on rescue operation and assessment of the situation.

However, the police said calm has returned to the embattled village, but Blueprint learnt that villagers had abandoned their homes for fear of military reprisal attack. (Blueprint)

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