A group of terrorists engaged the Nigerian Army in a fierce gun battle near Abuja on Thursday night, according to a security officer and witnesses’ accounts.
The duel reportedly took place between Zuba and Madalla, both satellite communities of the Nigerian capital city, with the latter being part of the contiguous Niger State, witnesses said, without immediate reports of fatalities.
Witnesses said that the bandits were reportedly making an eastern push into the nation’s capital when Nigerian soldiers intercepted them at joint security forces barricades close to Zuma Rock.
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“We were going on patrol when we heard about an ongoing fight between soldiers and bandits,” a police officer in the nation’s capital told Peoples Gazette.
“They tried to radio us that it was a bad situation there,” the source added.
The officer said the situation was too fuzzy to provide further details about the attack, speaking under anonymity because he was not an authorised police spokesperson.
Soldiers from Suleja Barracks were said to have been put on high alert, although it was unclear if the facility was attacked.
Witnesses’ accounts, including videos on social media, revealed severe traffic build-up as motorists remained trapped on the Abuja-Kaduna highway amidst fear of being caught in the crossfire.
This comes barely 78 hours after terrorists attacked presidential guards in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Quest Times understands that terrorist attacks have been heightened in recent times with many Nigerians living in fear.