Thirteen people including seven Mobile Policemen and six civilians have been killed at a mining site in Ajata-Aboki in Gurmana Ward of Shiroro local government, Niger State.
The Mobile Policemen were attached to the mining site to provide security cover for the expatriates who were working at the mining site owned and managed by Chinese nationals.
Several other people sustained various degrees of gunshot injuries during the attack while two Chinese nationals and other people were abducted.
The Nation gathered that the incident occurred on Wednesday evening at about 4 pm.
The terrorists were said to have invaded the mining site armed with sophisticated weapons shooting everyone at sight.
An unconfirmed report revealed that some of the officials of the Nigerian Army stationed at Erena who responded to the distress call engaged the terrorist fire for fire and in the process, some of the officers sustained gunshot injuries.
The Niger State Commissioner for Internal Security and Humanitarian Affairs, Emmanuel Umar confirmed the attack saying that two Chinese nationals were abducted.
He said that there was yet to be determined number of casualties from the security agencies and the terrorists adding that the number of workers abducted at the mining site were yet to be ascertained.
The Commissioner said that a joint security team were mobilized to the scene in response to the distress call adding that reinforcement for the manhunt of the remaining terrorists commenced immediately as some of the terrorists were neutralized.
“There was a rescue of the injured victims including security personnel that sustained various degrees of injuries. They have been taken to a government medical facility in the state for treatment.”
He expressed the sympathy of the state government to the heads of security agencies in the state and the families of the slain personnel declaring that the state government will not allow their sacrifices go in vain.
“The state government acknowledged the efforts of the joint security operatives and that of the communities in the State towards taming the spate of insecurity in some parts of the state, hence, security personnel are enjoined not to be discouraged in discharging their sacred duties of protecting citizens against all forms of threats as the government will continue to be steadfast in providing them with the needed support in all ramifications.” (Nation)
