At least 20 soldiers and scores of bandits died on Tuesday after over 200 armed bandits attacked two military camps in Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State.
The Nigerian Army later confirmed that 17 soldiers were killed in the fierce fighting, while 10 others were injured.
Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Lt. Col. Apolonia Anel said, “Sadly, 17 brave and gallant soldiers paid the supreme price during the encounter, while 10 others sustained varying degrees of injury.
“The wounded personnel have been evacuated to a military medical facility and are in stable condition.”
According to reports, the bandits rode in on motorcycles and first attacked the military camp at Kwanan Duse around 9:30 a.m. The gun battle lasted about four hours. Reinforcements were called from the Kontagora Military Cantonment, but before they arrived, the bandits had moved on to another camp at Gulbin Boka.
The soldiers engaged the attackers again at Gulbin Boka, killing an unknown number of the bandits. The Army also worked with the Nigerian Air Force in the fight, targeting the bandits in the Kwanar Dutse forest.
Chairman of Mariga council, Abbas Adamu, said the attackers likely entered the state from Zamfara through the Shadadi forest.
Adamu said, “The bandits did not kidnap anybody, but lives were lost, shops looted, and several cattle stolen.
“From all indications, their aim was to chase away the military and gain free access to local communities.”
Head of the local vigilante group, Mallam Abubakar Sani, also confirmed the attacks but could not say how many bandits were killed.
The military and local security teams have now launched a joint operation in the Gulbin Boka forest, believed to be the bandits’ hideout.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, said the military will soon deploy 800 specially trained troops to high-risk areas to boost the fight against insecurity.
At the Defence Training Conference 2025 in Abuja, Musa said, “We will be graduating the first 800 special forces team trained to face the challenges.
“They will be deployed together as one unit to strengthen their coordination and effectiveness.”
He added that Nigeria faces complex threats, including terrorism, cyber warfare, and the use of advanced weapons by criminals.
“The enemy we are dealing with is someone who has nothing to lose,” Musa said.
Defence Minister Mohammed Badaru also urged the military to align its training with Nigeria’s national security goals and adopt modern strategies to defeat the country’s enemies.