A newlywed Nigerian army officer, Ibrahim Yibranii Yohana, and three other soldiers have been killed by terrorists in Sokoto State.
The terrorists killed the four soldiers during an ambush along the Kukurau-Bangi Road, Gudu Local Government Area of the state around 4:00 pm on Saturday, August 10, 2024.
The attack was also said to have left two other soldiers injured. Two operational vehicles of the military personnel were set on fire by the terrorists.
A member of the Sokoto State House of Assembly representing Gudu Constituency, Yahaya Gudu, confirmed the incident to journalists on Sunday, August 11, 2024.
Gudu, who described the incident as disheartening, said the terrorists also set ablaze two patrol vehicles of the troops.
“Yes, it is true. Some gunmen ambushed soldiers on patrol along Kukurau-Bangi Road on Saturday and killed four of them while two others were injured.
“They (terrorists) also burnt the soldiers’ patrol vehicles,” the lawmaker said.
He said Governor Ahmed Aliyu had been informed about the attack and that “a reinforcement was sent to the area same day.”
A resident of Gudu, who spoke to Daily Trust on condition of anonymity, said the terrorists were seen riding through the area on about 20 motorcycles.
He said: “Each motorcycle was carrying two well-armed bandits. They did not touch or kidnap anybody in our community. They just passed and the next thing we heard were sounds of gunshots.
“It was later that we discovered they laid an ambush for the security operatives patrolling the area and killed four of them. Their bodies were later recovered by their colleagues and taken away. About a ago, the bandits pursued vigilantes and killed seven persons in our community.
“They (terrorists) are still in that bush. There is a stream where they met and discussed every day. We used to tell security operatives about their presence, but they have not been responsive to our calls. Maybe this is because the bandits are using more sophisticated weapons,” the resident said.