SHIRORO: No fewer than 30 corpses of soldiers have been recovered after an attack on a mining site in Ajata-Aboki community in Gurmana, in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.
Reports indicate that the bandits had attacked the mining site, belonging to some Chinese nationals on Wednesday afternoon.
It was gathered that the soldiers were drafted from Erena in Shiroro Local Government Area to confront the bandits and their bodies were discovered dead on Thursday.
13 people, including seven policemen, were killed on the spot, while four Chinese nationals were abducted.
Confirming the incident, the Co-Convener of the Concerned Shiroro Youth, Sani Abubakar Kokki told newsmen that scores of others who were shot during the incident are currently in a critical condition, receiving treatment at an undisclosed health facility.
The Niger State Government, in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Humanitarian Affairs, Emmanuel Umar disclosed the abduction of four Chinese nationals, alongside an unknown group of others.
Umar, who acknowledged that casualties were recorded on both sides following the attack said that the state government has directed security agencies to go after the fleeing bandits.
“Security forces mobilized reinforcement for the manhunt of the remaining terrorists as some of them were neutralized and rescue of the injured victims including security personnel that sustained various degrees of injuries have been taken to a government medical facility in the state for treatment.
‘While the Niger State Government commiserates with the heads of security agencies in the state and the families of the slain personnel, the state government assures that their sacrifices will not go in vain.
The Governor of Niger State has therefore directed that the security agencies should go all out to ensure the safe return of the kidnapped victims and make sure that none of the terrorists escapes,” he said.
Mining activities were banned in Gurmana and five other areas by the Niger State Government in September 2020 but the activities began recently in the area.
The Government had said that it had identified a strong Nexus between banditry and illegal mining.
This is in addition to the promotion of vices such as prostitution, criminality, and drug peddling.