About 12 soldiers have been reportedly killed after some gunmen raided a military base in Kampanin Doka in Birnin Gwari local government area of Kaduna state on Tuesday night.
The soldiers were said to be among a detachment of troops deployed to the village to ensure security for expatriates and others working on a new road linking Zamfara and Kaduna states through Dansadau-Dangulbi and Birnin Gwari.
The expatriates reportedly fled the town after one of them was kidnapped last year. They were said to have returned after soldiers were deployed in the town.
A source at the emirate council said the attackers killed three soldiers in a hole and nine others elsewhere within the camp.
“We gathered that the soldiers had caught a thief in a village called Maganda in the area and were taking him back to their camp when some personnel of the Nigerian Police Force asked them to hand over the thief to them which the soldiers refused,” he said.
“The same police followed the soldiers to their camp in Kampanin Doka and again asked them to hand over the thief to them, but the soldiers still refused.
“Around 8pm on Tuesday, bandits attacked the soldier’s camp and killed three soldiers in a hole and nine others in a tent in the camp.”
The source called on the state government to find a means of tackling the activities of suspected bandits in the area.
“The government has not deemed it fit to declare the bandits as terrorists and are still describing the attacks as farmer/herdsmen conflict,” he said.
When contacted, Mohammed Dole, spokesman of the 1 division of the Nigerian Army, Kaduna, said a statement would soon be issued.
“We are preparing a press release which will be released to the media as soon as possible, please give me some time” he said.