The Nigerian Army has confirmed that one officer and 10 soldiers who are on stabilisation operation in Benue State have been killed by yet to be identified criminals.
The Director, Army Public Relations, Mohammed Yerima, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.
According to Yerima, the troops were initially declared missing which led to the deployment of a joint search and rescue team comprising army troops and personnel of Operation Whirl Stroke.
He said the search and rescue team unfortunately found all the missing troops dead in Konshisha Local Government Area of the state.
According to him, while the bodies of the slain troops were evacuated immediately, efforts are ongoing to track down the perpetrators of this heinous crime with a view to bringing them to justice.
Yerima assured that the Nigerian Army, under the leadership of the Ibrahim Attahiru, would remain resolute in ensuring stability in Benue and other parts of the country that are affected by the activities of criminal gangs.
He gave assurance that the army authority was determined to ensure that the unprovoked attack does not disrupt the general peace being enjoyed by the local inhabitants.
“It may be recalled that Benue which was a hot bed for violent clashes has been enjoying relative peace following the successes achieved by the various security agencies who have been working tirelessly to safeguard law abiding citizens and ensure they go about their legitimate business without fear of harassment by criminals.
“The Nigerian army appeal to the public to volunteer useful information that will lead to the arrest of the perpetrators of this dastardly act,” he said.
Meanwhile, there are allegations that troops killed over 30 civilians in Shangev-Tiev Konshisha Local Government Area of the state in what seems like a revenge.
Unconfirmed reports claim that several houses including the palace of a traditional ruler were burnt in the alleged attack by the soldiers.
