No fewer than 14 soldiers and the Chief Security Officer to Kebbi State Deputy Governor were last Tuesday killed in an ambush by bandits in the state.

The soldiers, according to local account, were killed in ambush by bandits at Kanya in Danko Wasagu area of Zuru Emirate in Kebbi South axis of the state.

While confirming the incident to the Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyema, who was in the state on the directive of the president , the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Babale Umar Yauri, said unspecified number of soldiers were killed by bandits in Kanya, Danko Wasagu area of Zuru Emirate last Tuesday evening.

It was learnt that the soldiers were drafted to tackle the bandits that killed 65 members of the vigilante group in the area.

Though the state government did not give exact numbers of soldiers that were killed in the ambush, a source said no fewer than 14 of them were killed.

It was gathered that the bodies of the soldiers had been deposited at Sir Yahaya Specialists Hospital in Birnin Kebbi.

The SSG, on behalf of the state governor yesterday at the Cabinet office in Birnin-Kebbi said 65 vigilantes and unspecified number of soldiers were killed in ambush by bandits in Kebbi South.

Sixty five vigilantes were killed in an ambush by the bandits in the last three days while some military personnel were also killed on Tuesday night,

he said.

The SSG, who represented governor Abubakar Bagudu, during the minister’s visit, said the state was making serious effort in tackling the insecurity faced by the southern part of the state.

He commended the effort of the federal government for evacuating Nigerians back home from Ukraine as a result of the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Earlier, Onyema said he was in Kebbi State on the directive of the president to sympathise and condole with the government and people of the state over the recent killing of vigilantes in Zuru area of the state.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.