Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State has commended the joint security operatives stationed in Kundu Village, under Rafi Local Government Area of the state for repelling an attack by armed bandits which claimed the lives of an unspecified number of bandits and two security personnel.
A statement from the office of the Chief Press Secretary to the governor said Bello gave the commendation when he visited the security camp at Kundu Community to commiserate with the security personnel and to cheer them up, promising to review the security situation in the area to make it better.
The statement signed by Mary Noe-Berje said the governor was impressed with the response by the security agents and promised to support family members of the slain personnel, pointing out that the state has enjoyed relative peace in recent times.
He, however, acknowledged that no society is completely free of security challenges, assuring that his government will do its best to reduce the rate of insecurity to the barest minimum.
“The percentage is 100 per cent safe but we will do whatever it takes to bring back relative peace. We are investing in security equipment and other logistics to help in the fight and to reduce casualty,” he said.
The governor was also said to have had a closed-door interaction with the heads of security agencies who were also part of his entourage, camp commander, and other relevant stakeholders to get more insight on the foiled attack and also suggested ways forward.
He equally inspected where the bandits used as hideouts and cover to launch the attack.
Some of the villagers who gave an account of the attack were full of praises to the joint security agents for overwhelming the bandits, disclosing that the gallantry displayed by the security agents gave them the confidence to remain in the village.
Recall that armed bandits launched an attack on men of Operation Puff Adder, which is Federal government intervention and members of the state security outfit constituted to fight banditry in the area a month ago.
The armed bandits, numbering over 100, were said to have arrived at the security camp at about 9 am, engaged the joint security agents in a gun battle that lasted for about two hours.
The bandits were said to have suffered heavy casualties while the security agents lost two personnel and two others sustained injuries.
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