Bandits have killed more than 20 security personnel and local vigilantes in an ambush in Plateau State.
The attack occurred on Friday in the Wanka district of Kanam Local Government Area when a joint patrol team made up of Nigerian Army soldiers and local vigilantes came under heavy gunfire from armed bandits.
The patrol team, travelling in two vehicles, was moving through Garga, Kyaram, Gyambau and nearby communities when the attackers, reportedly numbering in the hundreds, laid an ambush.
Initial reports indicated that three soldiers, including a captain, and seven vigilante members were killed during the attack.
However, the Kanam Development Association (KADA) later confirmed that the death toll had risen to more than 20.
In a statement signed by its chairman, Garba Aliyu, and secretary, Shehu Kanam, the group said about 12 security personnel, including two senior military officers, were killed in the gun battle.
It added that eight vigilante members who joined the patrol to defend their communities also lost their lives.
According to the association, the attackers later invaded Kyaram community, looting properties worth millions of naira and rustling many cattle belonging to residents. An unspecified number of civilians were also reportedly killed during the raid.
The group described the incident as part of a long-standing security crisis affecting border communities linking Plateau State with Taraba State and Bauchi State.
It called on authorities to urgently deploy more troops and establish permanent security posts in communities such as Garga, Kyaram, Gyambau and Wanka.
The association also urged the local, state and federal governments to provide relief assistance for victims and displaced residents affected by the attack.
