Nigerian military commander reportedly shot dead in Katsina

The commander of a military camp at Sabon Garin Dan’Ali, in Danmusa Local Government Area of Katsina State, has been reportedly killed in an ambush.

According to Daily Trust, sources said the incident took place on Thursday, adding that the corpse of the deceased, alleged to be a major in the army, was deposited at a hospital in Katsina.

The newspaper said it gathered from reliable sources that the commander, whose name was withheld, was ambushed at Malali village in Kankara local government area, where he was called to provide reinforcement to repel an attack on the village.

“As you know, Malali is along Zangon Pawwa road, and that area is completely taken over by bandits. Whenever there is an attack the security agents usually ask for reinforcement from the Maraban Dan’Ali camp, and this new commander would promptly respond.

“This time around, they asked for his reinforcement and he came using a Hilux vehicle, instead of the Amoured Personnel Carrier (APC), perhaps the APCs were not available at the time. Unfortunately his assailants waylaid his vehicle and shot him in the head,” a source said.

An unnamed resident narrated that there was a serious gun duel between the bandits and the military personnel during which the officer who picked the body also sustained gunshot injury.

“When the residents of the village alerted the security agents of the impending attack, the security personnel went and shot severally in the air without any response from the bandits, and by then the commander was on his way.

“When the security operatives fired some shots at the direction suspected to have the bandits, they left, thinking that no one was there, but by the time the commander arrived, they targeted him and shot him,” the source added.

The local government has recently come under serious attacks, with villages abandoning their communities due to incessant banditry.

Public Relations Officer of the 17 Brigade in Katsina, Oiza Ehinlaidlye, was yet to reply to inquiries, according to the report.