Army Chief Plans Visit to Niger State Following Ambush on Troops

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Taoreed Lagbaja, is en route to the Wushishi Local Government Area of Niger State following a tragic ambush by bandits that resulted in the loss of several soldiers’ lives.

The deadly attack occurred on Monday and led to the unfortunate deaths of a number of troops. This incident has raised concerns and brought forth unconfirmed reports suggesting that the Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash might also be linked to the actions of the same bandits. As of now, the Nigerian Air Force has neither confirmed nor denied these reports.

Speaking with a correspondent on Tuesday, Brig. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, the Director of Army Public Relations, confirmed the existence of casualties on the troops’ side but refrained from providing detailed figures. He emphasized that the primary focus should be on supporting the families of the fallen troops rather than fixating on the exact count of casualties.

Brig. Gen. Onyema conveyed that the Army Chief is on his way to the site of the incident to offer motivation and support to the troops. He shared, “I can confirm that there was an incident in Wushishi LG of Niger State. Our gallant patriots paid the supreme price when they ran into an ambush staged by insurgents. They were courageous till the end. They stood their ground and defended our great country with their lives.”
He further added, “The focus now is how to console and bring respite to those they left behind. Sadly, the incident occurred while the Chief of Army Staff is on an operational tour of the North-West Operations theatre for an on-the-spot assessment and reinvigoration of ongoing operations. He is currently headed to the affected formation to encourage the troops.”