NO fewer than 17 Nigerian soldiers have been killed in a fierce gun duel with suspected bandits in the Bangi community, Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State.
The violent confrontation was said to have occurred on Tuesday night at about 11 pm, following intelligence reports that armed bandits were advancing towards Bangi, a notorious corridor for criminal activity, including kidnappings and cattle rustling.
Sources in the community told News Point Nigeria that the soldiers laid an ambush for the bandits as they attempted to infiltrate the area using their usual route, triggering a heavy exchange of gunfire that lasted for hours.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of the Mariga Local Government Area, Abbas Kasuwa Garba, disclosed that the attacks occurred in two separate locations—Konan Dutse Kaiyan Ghana, near Bangi, late Tuesday night, and earlier that same evening at about 5 pm in Gulunbi Boka.
He stated that 17 bodies of fallen soldiers had so far been recovered from the forest and deposited at the Nigerian Army Barracks in Kontagora.
He added that search and rescue operations by vigilance groups and security agents were still ongoing in the surrounding bush areas.
“Several of the bandits were neutralised in the process, but our major concern remains the security of our people,” the chairman said.
He commended the swift aerial support provided by the Nigerian Air Force in confronting the attackers and called for increased vigilance from the public.
He also urged residents to remain calm and report any suspicious movements to the authorities, assuring them that the government is taking decisive steps to restore peace and stability in the affected areas.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Niger State Government nor any official security agency has released a formal statement regarding the incident.
The Nigerian Army, in a statement by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Appolonia Anele, and posted on its X, confirmed that it lost 17 soldiers.
It said, “In a deliberate joint operation, troops of the Nigerian Army, in collaboration with the Air Component of the Nigerian Air Force, successfully thwarted an attempted incursion by terrorists into Bangi community in the Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State on 24 June 2025.
“The operation, which was based on credible intelligence, led to troops engaging about 300 armed bandits in Kwanar Dutse Forest. The criminals had attempted a night-time transit towards Kwatankoro Forest, where they were reportedly planning coordinated attacks on surrounding communities or looking for a safe haven to evade the pressure from our operations in Zamfara State.”
“However, their movement and actions were effectively disrupted by troops who engaged them in a fierce firefight that lasted over three hours.
“Regrettably, 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, where they are receiving treatment and are in stable condition,” it added.