Gunmen kidnap Army Commander, kill policeman, six soldiers in Taraba

Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku of Taraba State’s hopes of reducing banditry have been dashed when the Commanding Officer of the Nigerian Army’s 92 Battalion was purportedly abducted by unknown gunmen.

Six troops and one mobile police officer were also reported dead in the event, which occurred on Tuesday in the state’s Takum Local Government Area.

Abdullahi Usman, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), confirmed the occurrence to our state correspondent over the phone, saying the commanding officer was “missing” in a joint operation carried out by the combined forces.

Apart from the “missing” commandant, the terrorists murdered six troops and one mobile police officer, as he revealed.

The council chairman, Tikari Shiban, also confirmed the news, saying, “We are on top of the issue,” and that “soldiers are in the jungle searching everywhere for the commander.”

He could not provide specific numbers of casualties, but he did reveal that several military and police officers were slain.

The combined troops were attacked on their approach to a joint operation in a nearby village in the council, according to reports.

Some council members warned our correspondent that no one in the town is safe.

“If an entire battalion’s commanding officer can be kidnapped by bandits, it tells you that no one is secure in this our local government council,” one of them stated.

Residents have been concerned since reports of fleeing bandits from the neighboring states of Borno and Yobe, as well as the Northwestern section of the country, arose.

On Tuesday night, a bomb detonation was recorded in Jalingo, the state capital.

Despite the fact that no casualties have been recorded, the scenario has heightened people’s concerns and bewilderment.