Lt-Gen Taoreed Lagbaja, Chief of Army Staff, is on his way to Wushishi, Niger State, following an ambush by bandits on Monday that resulted in army casualties.
According to unconfirmed accounts, the bandits may have been responsible for a Nigerian Air Force plane crash. The Air Force has yet to respond to these allegations.
In an interview with Punch, Brig. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, Director of Army Public Relations, confirmed soldier deaths but declined to disclose specifics.
He stressed the significance of focusing on the afflicted servicemen’ families, adding, Attention should be on the families of the troops left behind and not the number of troops killed.”
He further stated that the Army Chief’s visit is intended to enhance troop morale.
He said, “I can confirm that there was an incident in Wushishi LG of Niger State. Our gallant patriots paid the supreme price when they ran into an ambush staged by insurgents. They were courageous till the end. They stood their ground and defended our great country with their lives.
“The focus now is how to console and bring respite to those they left behind. Sadly, the incident occurred while the Chief of Army Staff was on an operational tour of the North-West Operations theatre for an on-the-spot assessment and reinvigoration of ongoing operations. He is currently headed to the affected formation to encourage the troops.”
