From John Adams, Minna
The Military at the weekend shot dead shot dead 15 armed bandits at Anguwan Mallam in Kontagora Local Government Area of Niger state .
The bandits were neutralized by Soldiers from the Artillery Brigade in Kontagora.
The gun battle between the Soldiers and over 70 bandits claimed the life a military officer.
The incident, according to source close to the community, occurred at about 4:00pm, when the military on patrol of the area sighted the bandits in their large numbers at Anguwan Mallam few kilometers from Kontagora town.
The bandits were said to be on their motorcycles, with three of them in each motorcycle when the Soldiers sighted them and immediately engaged the gunmen in a fierce battle that resulted in the death of many bandits and a military officer.
It was further gathered that when the bandits could not withstand the superior fire power of the Soldiers who were less than 30, they escaped into the bush.
The community source told our correspondent that the bandits were actually heading towards the community to lunch an attack, but the presence of the military saved the community from their onslaught.
“The presence of the military was what saved our community from the Bandits. They came in their numbers on motorcycles and the people became scared because we don’t have what it takes to face them. But many were killed. We discovered dead bodies even today in the bush. We found their sleeping kits and some other valuable materials belonging to them,” our source said.
In a related development, no fewer than 15 people who were recently kidnapped by bandits from Tegina town in Rafi LGA of the state on Saturday escaped from their abductors in a miraculous way.
The victims, all males, were among the adults abducted along with the 156 pupils of the Salihu Tanko Islamic school three weeks ago.