Soldier declared missing after 2-hour gun battle between bandits, troops in Niger

A Nigerian soldier is reportedly missing after armed bandits reportedly numbering about 60 in the early hours of Wednesday, April 21 invaded a military camp in Zazzaga community of Munya local government area of Niger state.

The bandits engaged soldiers in a gunfight, resulting in a number of bandit casualties.

No military personnel was killed in the attack, but a soldier identified as the Regimental Sergeant Major of the camp has been declared missing as at the time of this report.

Sources quoted in the report say the bandits stormed the community at about 4:00 am operating in three groups.

While one group made their way straight to the military camp located at a junior secondary school about 500 metres from the town where they engaged the soldiers in a gunfight, the second group laid ambush on the major road leading to the community.

The third group were said to have made their way to the community to prevent any reinforcements from vigilantes and youth volunteers.

After about a two-hour firefight from 4:00 am to 6:00 am, the soldiers ran out of ammunition and made a retreat but not until they inflicted heavy casualties on the bandits.

The source added:

“The bandits came around 4:00 am and since that time we were hearing gunshots until about 6:00 am this morning.”