A combined team of the military and the police has killed scores of bandits/terrorists and set free 20 abducted villagers in Magama local government area of Niger state.
Leadership gathered that some of the bodies of those killed by the troops were carried away by the terrorists while herds of cattle rustled were also recovered.
It was learnt that the terrorists were centralised while attacking some villages around Nasko, the headquarters of the council in the evening on Saturday.
The police public relations officer (PPRO) Niger State command Wasiu Abiodun confirmed the incident. He said the “tactical teams of the command sent for reinforcement to the area and military personnel with the vigilantes engaged the bandits in a fierce gun battle.”
Abiodun said they were engaged in gun battle along Ibeto cattle route and it lasted for about two hours as the terrorists were trying to escape with the cattle rustled.
On the number of the terrorists killed, he said “scores of bandits were neutralised and the large rustled cattle were recovered while about 20 abducted victims regained freedom.”.
He added that 1 AK-47 magazine with 30 rounds of live ammunition, seven handsets and one Honda motorcycle were recovered from the neutralised bandits.
Abiodun said based on credible intelligence, police operatives attached to Nasko Division raided an identified hidveout of bandits at Annababa hilltop in the same council.
He said during the raid, one Ak-47 rifle with 13 rounds of live ammunition, hidden between the rocks on the hilltop, were recovered.
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