Reports indicate that the commander of a military camp located at Sabon Garin Dan’Ali, in Danmusa Local Government Area of Katsina State, has been fatally ambushed.
According to sources as reported by Daily Trust, the incident occurred on Thursday and the body of the deceased, believed to be a major in the army, was taken to a hospital in Katsina.
Information gathered from reliable sources by the newspaper disclosed that the commander, whose identity has not been revealed, was attacked at Malali village in Kankara local government area. He had been summoned to provide support against an attack on the village.
One source mentioned, “Malali is situated along Zangon Pawwa road, an area heavily controlled by bandits. In case of an attack, security personnel usually request reinforcement from the Maraban Dan’Ali camp, and this new commander consistently responded to these calls.”
“During this particular incident, the commander arrived in a Hilux vehicle instead of an Armored Personnel Carrier (APC), potentially due to unavailability of the APCs at that time. Tragically, his assailants ambushed his vehicle and fatally shot him in the head,” the source explained.
A resident, who chose to remain anonymous, described a fierce exchange of gunfire between the bandits and the military officers. The officer retrieving the body also suffered a gunshot wound during the confrontation.
“Upon receiving information from the village residents about an impending attack, security personnel fired shots into the air, but received no response from the bandits. Meanwhile, the commander was en route,” reported the source.
“As the security forces continued firing shots in the direction believed to be occupied by the bandits, they absconded, assuming there was no one present. However, upon the arrival of the commander, he was targeted and shot,” the source further elaborated.
The local government has been experiencing severe attacks recently, leading to communities deserting their villages due to rampant banditry.
As per the report, inquiries made to the Public Relations Officer of the 17 Brigade in Katsina, Oiza Ehinlaidlye, were pending a response.