Suspected Boko-Haram terrorists have launched attacks on communities in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State over the weekend, killing scores, including soldiers.
The state military joint task force with some local vigilantes had earlier at Alawa and Erena countered incursions by the suspected Boko-Haram in a fierce gun duel at Lolo in Alawa axis leading to casualties from both sides.
Among the casualties on both sides during the encounter with the suspected terrorists at Alawa village were six military personnel who were missing in action, including one Captain, one Major and four others whose ranks could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report.
According to a source from the area, the soldiers who were said to have lost their way and fell into the enemy zone were killed by the suspected Boko-Haram and not armed bandits who were said to be well established in eight local government areas of the state.
The soldiers lost their way during counter attacks in the forest and their corpses were later found on Saturday in the bush with bullet wounds on their heads, but without their uniforms.
The source who attributed the killing of the soldiers to lack of sophisticated weapons, urged the government to provide security agencies with modern fighting equipment to build their capacity to defeat armed bandits and Boko-Haram across the country.
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Homeland Security, Gen. Garba Abdullahi Mohammed (rtd) who confirmed the attacks declined to give details of casualties.
He however, noted that efforts are being made to rid the state of Boko-Haram, armed bandits and other security threats in the state.
