ABUJA, April 3 (NNN-Xinhua) — At least 14 persons were killed in a gunmen attack on a military base and some communities in Niger state, north-central Nigeria, an official said.
Six soldiers and one policeman were killed in an attack by unidentified gunmen “numbering about 200” on a military base at Allawa town of the Shiroro local government area of Niger state, Abubakar Sani Bello, the governor of the state, said in a statement.
The gunmen burnt down the base before moving into some communities in the area, where they killed another seven people and abducted several others, said Bello, without revealing the date of the attack.
The governor denied allegations that “taskforce camps were being deserted and security agents (were) leaving the communities” after the attack.
“The military … have retreated for a while to re-strategize. They have not left or abandoned the communities,” he said.
He urged local communities to remain calm as the increasing banditry and kidnapping activities in some parts of the state are constantly calling for new strategies to deal with them.
In addition, he also stressed that the government and the security agencies “have remained steadfast and will ensure that the criminals are eliminated.”
A series of gunmen attacks has recently happened in the northern part of the most populous African country, including attacks on schools and kidnappings of students. — NNN-XINHUA