Terrorists have reportedly taken over Nigeria’s largest military training facility in Kontagora Local Government Area of Niger State, expelling Nigerian soldiers from the area.
This was disclosed by Niger State House of Assembly.
According to the assembly, bandits’ activities have displaced 23 communities around the Nagwamase military cantonment in the Kontagora local council headquarters.
The cantonment hosts the largest military training camp in Nigeria, where personnel of the Nigerian Army’s artillery corps undergo training.
The Assembly urged the state government to collaborate with the military authorities to smoke out the criminal elements immediately.
The unfortunate security situation was brought to the attention of the lawmakers through a motion of urgent public importance moved by the member representing Kontagora 11 constituency, Abdullahi Isah, during a plenary on Tuesday.
Honourable Isah said the armed bandits have seized control of the military camp, which occupied a large piece of land extending from Kontagora local council to part of Mariga local council.
He also informed his colleagues that since the bandits took over the training camp, 23 farming communities had relocated due to frequent attacks by the gunmen.
“This military camp is now known to have been taken over by bandits, who are said to have established at least eight different camps in the area. The presence of the bandits on this training camp, which now serves as their safe haven, has posed a serious security threat to communities within the camp, both in Kontagora and Mariga local councils.”
However, the lawmaker said in the last month, communities near the training camp had been under intense attacks by bandits operating with impunity, adding that the gunmen were still holding some members of the communities abducted during a recent operation.