Police have confirmed that 10 persons were killed yesterday by gunmen in Niger State.
Six of them were killed when bandits attacked Galape and Galadima Kogo communities in Shiroro council earlier in the day, police commissioner Bala Kuryas said, adding that four officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) died on their way to the communities attacked by the bandits.
He said they were killed when their van ran into an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by the terrorists and exploded.
The Niger State Commissioner of local government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Internal Security, Honorable Emmanuel Umar also confirmed the incident.
He said the IED was meant to hinder security access into the communities.
“Four security officers were killed while one was severely injured. We have cordoned off the place; we are responding and monitoring the situation”.
In a press statement, Governor Abubakar Bello declared that the state will not give in to the terrorists.
“As Government, we are determined not to hands up to these daredevil terrorists. Niger State is actively supporting the federal government-led efforts to overcome the menace of these heartless terrorists,” he said.
Kuryas said the Police Explosive Ordinance Unit (EOD) has been deployed to sweep the area to defuse the other IEDs that may have been planted in the area.
The police chief said one of the terrorists was arrested.