Three soldiers and two vigilante group members have been killed in an attack by suspected militia in the Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

State Commissioner for Special Duties, Security, Timothy Kasuwa, confirmed the incident to Channels Television in a telephone conversation on Wednesday, where he revealed five persons lost their lives in the incident.

“It is true that they killed three soldiers and two vigilantes,” the commissioner said.

“It was during when the military went for clearance operations as they were returning; they were ambushed by suspected militias. The situation is calm, the military has reinforced its personnel around the area.

Noting that more security operatives had been sent to the area to forestall further breakdown of law and order, the commissioner said the state government had taken over the matter and made efforts towards handling the situation.

This is not the first time some lives have been lost in attacks or communal clashes in the North-Central State.

On February 1, gunmen murdered three persons and destroyed properties worth millions of naira in the Katapka and Okudu communities in the area. The situation forced the Nigerian Army to deploy its personnel to the location for the maintenance of law and order.

For some time now, there have been ethnic skirmishes between the Bassas and the Egbiras of the area which has caused unrest. (Channels TV)