About
850 soldiers shortlisted for a counter-terrorism course at the Nigerian
Army Training Centre in Kontagora, Niger State narrowly escaped death
when they were ambushed by suspected members of the outlawed Boko Haram
islamist sect.
Four of them were however seriously
injured in the incident which took place at a location between Okene and
Lokoja, Kogi State on Sunday night.
A security source said on Monday that
the soldiers were men of the 322 Artillery Battalion, and the Fourth
Brigade Garrison, Ekeunwa, Benin in Edo State.
The PUNCH learnt that the 850
soldiers were expected to give fillip to the ongoing counter-terrorism
operation in Borno and Adamawa states on completion of the counter-
insurgency course.
Our source said there were suspicions
that the attackers were insurgents because of the intensity of the
gunfire directed at the vans conveying the soldiers from both sides of
the road.
He added that the soldiers, who shot their way through the ambush, passed the night at the Nigeria Army formation in Lokoja.
The four injured soldiers, according to
him, were taken to a military facility in Lokoja while the
commanders of the troops addressed the others on Monday morning.
The source said, “There was an attack
on soldiers along the Okene-Lokoja Road on Sunday night. Four of the
soldiers were seriously wounded in the attack though all of them are
still alive and are receiving treatment at Lokoja.
