Twelve soldiers were feared killed on Tuesday night when bandits attacked them at Kampanin Doka Village in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The soldiers were said to part of a special force deployed in the area to protect expatriates and people working on a new road linking the state via Dansadau Dangulbi and Birnin Gwari to neighbouring Zamfara State.
It was learnt that an expatriate engineer working at the site was last year kidnapped by unknown gunmen but was later released. Following that incident, workers, including expatriates deserted the site but were later mobilised back on the conditions that they would be provided with adequate security.
A source, who pleaded anonymity, said the attackers, numbering about 120 and all riding motor bikes stormed the soldiers camp between 9 pm and 10pm, killing three of the soldiers who were in trenches and another nine in the camp.
It was also learnt that before the attack, the bandits carried out two separate attacks at Doka and Maganda. It further gathered that when the bandits attacked Maganda village they shot indiscriminately and injured about nine persons who are currently receiving treatment at the hospital.
Sources revealed that the soldiers were taken unawares by the bandits who were said to be armed to the teeth for that operation. "We gathered that the soldiers caught a thief in a village called Maganda in the area and were taking him back to their camp when some policemen asked them to hand over the thief to them but the soldiers allegedly refused.
"The policemen followed the soldiers to their camp in Kampanin Doka and again asked them to hand over the thief to them, but the soldiers still refused. Around 8pm on Tuesday, bandits attacked the soldiers and killed three of them in a hole and nine others in a tent in the camp,” said the source.
However, the Kaduna State Police Command could not confirm the report as there was no response from the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mukhtar Aliyu, an Assistant Superintendent of Police. Also, there was no reply to a text message sent to him as of the time of filing this report.
Assistant Director, Army Public Relations Officer, 1 Division, Nigerian Army in Kaduna Col. Muhammad Dole's phone rang out and a message sent to his phone was not replied to as of the time of filing this report.
Tags
Crime