Gunmen on Tuesday attacked the convoy of the Deputy Governor of Kebbi State Samaila Dabai Yombe, killing 19 soldiers.
The attack occurred the same day unknown assailants killed over 60 members of a vigilante group in Nigeria’s Northwestern Kebbi State, an onslaught that sparked fears amongst residents in the area.
News Central gathered that the attack occurred around 4.30pm with 19 soldiers killed and 8 more injured.
Deputy Governor Yombe confirmed the ambush on Tuesday and stated a gun fight broke out in the town of Kanya, with casualties, but he did not say how many people were killed.
“We entered into terrorist ambush who opened fire on our entourage. as we approached a sharp bend on our way to Wasagu,” Yombe said.
“I counted 19 bodies from Tuesday’s ambush in Kanya. They were loaded into two ambulances for transport to Birnin Kebbi,” Bashir Bala, a local radio journalist said.
Gunmen have wreaked havoc in the northwest, kidnapping hundreds of schoolchildren and residents for ransom.
In January, dozens of gunmen on motorcycles raided a town in Kebbi, killing around 50 people.
The violence has exacerbated problems in northern states, which are often poorer than their southern counterparts.